Sears company organizational behavior - Case Study Example

Sears Company Culture Question 4 (The culture of Sears Company) The Sears Company fosters a culture of corporate social responsibility, quality customer service, continuous improvement, total quality management and transparency in all its deals. Through culture, the company soars trough tough economic times. According to Pfeffer and Sutton (2010), the culture enabled the company favorably competes with its rivals like Starbucks Company. The involvement of the company in fun activities enables the company deliver services to the community.

The Sears Live Green team is responsible for the corporate social responsibility in the community. Consequently, there is environmental performance of the company. The initiative of energy conservation by the company enhances the spirit of corporate responsibility and environmental conservation. Energy conservation efforts eliminate the need for the upgrading of the Sears company store infrastructure. For instance, the company’s involvement in the WWF Canadian program responsible for energy conservation and enhancement of sustainable behavior both at home and at the work place also contributes to corporate social responsibility.

The Sears Company aims at maintaining the culture and merge champions in the sustainability and educating of the communities to conserving the environment (Moreno, 2013). Corporate social responsibility activities include the great Canadian clean up mission, the commuter challenge and the waste reduction week. Moreover, the company’s team indulged in the improvement of the cycling infrastructure in a bid to ensure zero waste. The participation of the group in the CN tower climbing contest formed part of their social responsibility initiative.

Customer service quality is enabled by benchmarking done periodically. Performance appraisals done by the company also ensure that every employee exhibits proficiency at his work place. Consequently, the company earns the trust of the public through the overall quality of customer service. Moreover, the culture of transparency in the delivery of service makes the company a stopping point for many customers. However, the culture of quality customer service was compromised when the company laid off many employees leading to public uproar.

The company was on a down-sizing campaign, which led to the closure of many of the company’s retail outlets in various parts of marketing. According to DuBrin (2009), the closure of the Sears Company’s retail outlets and the consequent laying off of employees had a negative impact on the company’s performance. The culture changed due to the dynamic retail landscape. Additionally, the advent of e-commerce led to the need to close most of the retail outlets because e-commerce could still draw many customers at a low cost compared to the use of retail outlets.

Moreover, the cost of maintaining of the retail stores, the stock holding costs, was high. This informed the move by the esteemed company. Customers negatively reacted to the Sears Company’s strategy. Compromise of customer service led to the reduction in the company’s earnings. Consequently, there was reduction in the compensation for the employees. Closure of the retail outlets of the company tarnished the reputation of the company. The move frustrated many families who relied on the company.

Moreover, the company abandoned the career development program for tee employees. The program helped in the instilling vital skills in the handling of customers. According to Scott (2010), the corporate responsibility culture of the company also vanished because the public had a negative perception of the company. Even loyalists of the company abandoned the company for the company’s rivals like Starbucks Company. The company could have adopted a parallel approach pertaining to the marketing of its products instead of abruptly closing the retail outlets in Canada.

References DuBrin, A. J. (2009). Essentials of management. Mason, OH: Thomson Business & Economics. Pfeffer, J., and Sutton, R. I. (2010). The knowing-doing gap: How smart companies turn knowledge into action. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press. Moreno, J. (2013). Yankee dont go home! Mexican nationalism, American business culture, and the shaping of modern Mexico, 1920-1950. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. Scott, S. M. (2010). Toys and American culture: An encyclopedia.

Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.