Case 2 Whole Foods
Case 2: Whole Foods
1. What is your opinion about John Mackey’s social mission at Whole Foods as a corporate strategy? Discuss the specific values in his “Declaration of Interdependence.” John Mackey explained that the concept of Whole Foods was patterned after Maslow’s human hierarchy of needs theory. This stated that human beings, once their need for food and safety was met, would aspire to fulfill their needs for belonging, community and beauty. John Mackey also stated that his desire was to promote the well being of the people and the earth. He frequently describes himself as a “caring person who wants human’s to flourish.” He is an evangelist for Conscious Capitalism a philosophy stating that businesses can profit from having passion and purpose. John Mackey basically geared his business towards looking out for not only the environment but also the whole human. In my opinion, John Mackey’s integration of his social mission as a corporate strategy was a great idea because companies with a social mission have a competitive edge. Firstly, consumers, suppliers and the press will always talk about a company with a strong social mission. For example, ABC News did a 2013 documentary “Whole Foods: How Radical CEO Created Grocery Empire” which brought John Mackey’s philosophy to the spotlight thus increasing press for the company. Secondly, consumers are inclined to support a company that truly cares about their wellbeing and make a positive on the world. Lastly, people want to work for an employer who respects their ideas and treat them as “equal stakeholders.” The end result is more productivity and happy consumers because employees are happy so they advocate for the business. It is evident that this strategy is working for Whole Foods since it is a billion dollar company and is one of the largest specialist natural food chains in the United States. John Mackey’s Declaration of Interdependence was centralized around a stakeholder philosophy where all interested
1. What is your opinion about John Mackey’s social mission at Whole Foods as a corporate strategy? Discuss the specific values in his “Declaration of Interdependence.” John Mackey explained that the concept of Whole Foods was patterned after Maslow’s human hierarchy of needs theory. This stated that human beings, once their need for food and safety was met, would aspire to fulfill their needs for belonging, community and beauty. John Mackey also stated that his desire was to promote the well being of the people and the earth. He frequently describes himself as a “caring person who wants human’s to flourish.” He is an evangelist for Conscious Capitalism a philosophy stating that businesses can profit from having passion and purpose. John Mackey basically geared his business towards looking out for not only the environment but also the whole human. In my opinion, John Mackey’s integration of his social mission as a corporate strategy was a great idea because companies with a social mission have a competitive edge. Firstly, consumers, suppliers and the press will always talk about a company with a strong social mission. For example, ABC News did a 2013 documentary “Whole Foods: How Radical CEO Created Grocery Empire” which brought John Mackey’s philosophy to the spotlight thus increasing press for the company. Secondly, consumers are inclined to support a company that truly cares about their wellbeing and make a positive on the world. Lastly, people want to work for an employer who respects their ideas and treat them as “equal stakeholders.” The end result is more productivity and happy consumers because employees are happy so they advocate for the business. It is evident that this strategy is working for Whole Foods since it is a billion dollar company and is one of the largest specialist natural food chains in the United States. John Mackey’s Declaration of Interdependence was centralized around a stakeholder philosophy where all interested