¶ … organizational culture at Wegmans, and what makes it so strong and appealing.
Clearly, the culture at Wegmans is incredibly strong, largely because their employees like their jobs, they treat them extremely well, and they have mutual respect for each other. Respect is a key aspect of the employee/employer relationship, and it goes both ways. At Wegmans, they seem to know that, and it shows in the organizational culture.
It seems that it would make the employees happier in their jobs, and it would make new hires proud to work there and want to stay there, especially if they have worked at organizations without strong, positive cultures. The strength of the culture just feeds on itself, creating more positive aspects and outcomes for the company, as well. A positive atmosphere makes for a happier, healthier workplace, and that leads to an even more positive culture.
Culture can be a liability to a corporation when they are so rigid they cannot deviate from their culture. For example, Wegmans hires people who love food. However, if they use those criteria to hire every person, from the bag people to the CEO, they may not get the results they need for certain critical roles in the organization. The advantages of imposing that culture are that people in the front of the house can identify with customers and help them, but in some corporate positions, intellect and food knowledge do not go hand in hand, and they could hurt the organization if they hold on to that culture too tightly.
In conclusion, one of the primary sources of Wegmans culture is the family themselves, who continue to own, manage, and interact with the company. They have a strong family ethic, and that shows in the way they run their stores and treat their employees, and it adds and enhances their corporate culture.
References
Editors. (2009). Meet our people. Retrieved 20 March 2009 from the Wegmans.com Web site: http://videos.wegmans.com/multimedia.aspx?assetid=63.
McNamara, C. (2008). Organizational culture. Retrieved 20 March 2009 from the ManagementHelp.org Web site: http://managementhelp.org/org_thry/culture/culture.htm.
