Whole Foods
Organizational Field Study:
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Team Old School:
Stephanie de Souza, Christopher Mauro, Jeff Reinman, and David Stewart
March 11, 2009
Professor Joan Winn
INTRODUCTION
Background
Whole Foods Market is a natural grocery store chain with 290 stores throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Founded in Austin, Texas in 1980, Whole Foods has consistently ranked in Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Best Companies to Work For, placing 22nd on the 2009 list. The company has long been recognized for its unique human resource strategies that exist as reflection of the founding mission and values of the company. Whole Foods Market is in many ways has been shaped by its human resource practices such as its mission, strategy, goals, benefits, structure, and reward systems.
Values and Culture Any study of the human resource practices and policies of Whole Foods Market must begin with a look at the values and culture of the company. John Mackey and nineteen others founded WF (Whole Foods Market), with the vision of providing the highest quality natural and organic foods available in a supermarket format. Five years later, the vision was further articulated in the “Declaration of Interdependence,” a document drafted by sixty employees establishing the WF motto as Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet. It states that the mission of WF is to “sell the highest quality natural and organic foods,” “satisfy and delight our customers,” and “create store environments that are inviting, fun, unique, informal, comfortable, attractive, nurturing and educational” (History, 2008). What is most striking is not the content of this message, but the degree to which the vision is reflected in the words and actions of its employees. From the front office to the store shelves and check-out line, the legend of how the business began and the inspiration behind it were driving forces in the work of employees. Empowerment, accountability, passion about
[pic]
Team Old School:
Stephanie de Souza, Christopher Mauro, Jeff Reinman, and David Stewart
March 11, 2009
Professor Joan Winn
INTRODUCTION
Background
Whole Foods Market is a natural grocery store chain with 290 stores throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Founded in Austin, Texas in 1980, Whole Foods has consistently ranked in Fortune Magazine’s Top 100 Best Companies to Work For, placing 22nd on the 2009 list. The company has long been recognized for its unique human resource strategies that exist as reflection of the founding mission and values of the company. Whole Foods Market is in many ways has been shaped by its human resource practices such as its mission, strategy, goals, benefits, structure, and reward systems.
Values and Culture Any study of the human resource practices and policies of Whole Foods Market must begin with a look at the values and culture of the company. John Mackey and nineteen others founded WF (Whole Foods Market), with the vision of providing the highest quality natural and organic foods available in a supermarket format. Five years later, the vision was further articulated in the “Declaration of Interdependence,” a document drafted by sixty employees establishing the WF motto as Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet. It states that the mission of WF is to “sell the highest quality natural and organic foods,” “satisfy and delight our customers,” and “create store environments that are inviting, fun, unique, informal, comfortable, attractive, nurturing and educational” (History, 2008). What is most striking is not the content of this message, but the degree to which the vision is reflected in the words and actions of its employees. From the front office to the store shelves and check-out line, the legend of how the business began and the inspiration behind it were driving forces in the work of employees. Empowerment, accountability, passion about
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