Introduction
Zappos is the world’s top online shoe selling company in United States. Zappos has recorded significant growth over the last few years because of offering customer friendly services different from other online shoe sale companies. The company’s strategic business decisions focus on making the customer satisfied from all corners of the world. In addition, the company makes use of unique strategies since as other companies focus their efforts on marketing Zappos puts a lot of its efforts on customer services. The company has continued to achieve organizational effectiveness by promoting organizational culture, corporate values, and norms. Moreover, the company has increased its competitive advantage through perfect diversity initiatives.
The use of organizational culture/corporate values/Norms
Zappos.com CEO argued that the company’s top priority is the maintenance of an effective culture. A strong organizational culture and corporate values promote better operations and encourages organizational growth and development. Cultural matters and norms are capable of making or destroying an organization depending on the way the management focuses on it (Fisher & Lovell, 2006). Zappos.com management has invested on organizational cultural and corporate values in order to offer the best customer experience. Since Zappos.com is a service company, its corporate values should portray high standards. The company deals with online marketing of shoes products a process that requires a lot of trust from customers. The company upholds ten core values that assist it achieve its effectiveness and win the global market competition. These are;
- Embracing and driving change
- Creating fun and less weirdness
- Delivering World of Warcraft (WOW) through service
- Being adventurous, open-minded and creative
- Pursuing growth and learning
- Building an open and honest relationship through communication
- Humbling themselves
- Being passionate and determined
- Building a positive organizational team spirit
- Doing more with less
On the other hand, zappos.com has a great focus on customer services and the billion dollar online shoe retailer has won the hearts of many potential customers worldwide. The introduction of ‘WOW’ services made the organization attract approximately 4 million customers out of which 3 million were a repeat customers. Since then, Zapos.com made customer service oriented culture a priority that contributes to the effectiveness of the organization. Organizational culture and corporate values at Zappos.com act as a means of branding opportunities and a unique way of communicating directly to customers (Howlett, 2007).
Zappos.com website offers unique features designed in such a manner that it offers customers with the most appealing online shopping experience. Accessing Zappos.com website is simple because it takes less than 1 second to open. In addition, Zappos.com website offers customers with an opportunity to search for their favorite shoes through looking for the brand, color, size, style, width, price, and heel height for ladies. Moreover, the selection offers customers an opportunity to view shoe brands from seven different close-up angles; top, bottom, right, left, front, back, and pair. The following selection offers a chance to all customers from different cultural backgrounds to get a chance of shopping at Zappos.com website.
Organization culture, corporate values, and norms improve the performance of a business depending on the approach an organization uses to implement them. Zappos.com management realizes that organizational culture is an asset that enhances human behavior. Zappos.com uses the aspect of organization culture wisely because it helps sustain their online shoe sale business. Zappos.com wins the competitive market through a combination of organization, culture and coherent business strategy. The organization runs its business through structural breakdown between corporate and support functions. In addition, the company takes responsibilities and decisions across groups. Moreover, performance measures are used in establishing critical systems and processes capable creating the company values as articulated in mission, vision, business objectives, and targets (Jacobsen, 2008).
Diversity initiatives
Zappos.com offers successful diversity management initiatives that present step by step that help plan, and direct an effective organizational development. Zappos.com management maintains high business integrity and reputations by obeying the federal, local or state laws affecting business operations. In addition, the Zappos.com ensures it goes by all business laws in order to avoid conflicts with the federal state government. By complying with the business applicable laws, the organization promotes its core values of developing an open and honest relationship with customers, and federal state. Zappos.com has a way that seeks to balance between managing diversity initiatives and achieving production efficiency. The total customization allows an environment where free interaction between customers and the business law providers is possible. The customer or the service provider can initiate a conversation and customers have more opportunity to ask a question and get an immediate response (Jackson, 1992; 85-88).
In addition, Zappos.com‘s organizational behavior is dedicated to better management and understanding of customer values. The firm’s strategy concerns static and dynamic competition. Static competition is concerned with competing for the present while dynamic involves competing for the future. According to American Productivity and Quality Council (APQC) (2000), competition in a business occurs in many different forms developing form a variety of competitors, thus increasing challenges. A firm must always balance the ethical traditions and notions with what is best for organizational effectiveness. Zappos.com management has striked a balance between what is good for the stakeholders and what is good for the shareholders. Keeping this balance ensures the company does not suffer due to over-emphasis on unnecessary concerns. Enlightened self-interest concept should play a role in guiding this process. The successful positioning of an enterprise, good allocation of resources, and making a decision on the appropriate level of performance in a competitive environment are the key factors to consider while designing diversity initiatives.
According to Kirton & Greene (2010), a well planned diversity initiative is a more effective tool of marketing compared to other strategies in an organization. In designing a perfect initiative plan, Zappos.com considered the following factors. To start with the firm sets out some objectives for publicity or media plan in question. This happens through identifying the qualified staff to carry out the activities, building goodwill among customers, and creating favorable perception regarding the company online services. The next step in formulating a diversity initiative plan is the definition of goals that Zappos.com wishes to achieve. The goals are to be specific, measurable, and result oriented. Moreover, the company maintains accurate records and information because they are critical tools in making diversity initiative plan.
Conclusion
The effectiveness of an organization depicts its growth and production in terms of customer maintenance and revenues. Zappos.com has maintained quality customer management values through the provision of a quality organization structure and perfect diversity initiatives. In addition, adherence to present business environment requirements has made the company top in online business activities.
References
Fisher, C. M., & Lovell, A. (2006). Business ethics and values: individual, corporate and
international perspectives(2nd ed.). Harlow, England: FT Prentice Hall.
Howlett, G. 2007. Zappos Continues to Grow with Repeat Business. Retrieved from:
http://www.internetretailer.com/
Jacobsen, S. (2008). Zappos: Company Culture and Social Marketing Success. Retrieved from:
http://beta.mediabullseye.com/
Jackson, S. E. (1992). Diversity in the workplace: human resources initiatives. New York:
Guilford Press.
Kirton, G., & Greene, A. M. (2010). The dynamics of managing diversity a critical
approach (3rd ed.). Burlington: Elsevier.
