United States Postal Service: History, Operations & Strategy
This paper examines the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a self-supporting federal agency responsible for delivering mail to nearly 153 million addresses nationwide. It traces the agency's origins from colonial-era mail delivery through the establishment of the Post Office Department under Benjamin Franklin to the modern USPS. The paper also describes USPS's step-by-step mail processing operations, its diverse workforce, its partnerships with carriers such as FedEx Express, and its organizational approach to power, politics, and conflict. Finally, it analyzes how USPS has responded to the shrinking paper mail market through innovation, technology adoption, and new revenue-generating platforms such as Every Door Direct Mail.
- Introduction to the USPS: USPS as a self-supporting national mail agency
- Historical Background: Colonial origins through modern postal reforms
- Global Dimensions and Diversity: International partnerships and workforce diversity
- How USPS Operates: Step-by-step mail collection and delivery process
- Power, Politics, and Organizational Culture: Managing organizational politics and employee alignment
- Response to Environment, Change, and Conflict: Innovation and conflict management amid digital disruption
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper integrates factual operational detail (step-by-step mail processing) with organizational theory, giving readers both practical and analytical perspectives on USPS.
- It draws directly on the agency's own published statements to support claims about diversity, innovation, and mission, lending credibility to the descriptive sections.
- The paper maintains a logical progression from historical context through current operations to strategic responses, making the argument easy to follow.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the use of organizational theory to frame a real-world institution. By applying Miles's definition of organizational politics and the concept of Kaizen, the writer moves beyond description and situates USPS within broader management literature, showing how academic frameworks can illuminate the behavior of a large public-sector organization.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief definitional introduction, then moves through six thematic sections: historical origins, global reach and diversity, operational processes, organizational power and politics, and finally the agency's adaptive responses to environmental change and internal conflict. Each section is self-contained yet contributes to an overall portrait of USPS as a complex, evolving institution.
Introduction to the USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is a self-supporting agency of the U.S. government concerned with the provision of postal and mail services throughout the country. Being independent, the agency is not supported by tax dollars. It delivers more mail to more addresses across a larger geographical area than any other postal service in the world (USPS, 2014). To define its geographical reach, USPS notes that it delivers mail "to nearly 153 million addresses in every state, city, and town in the country" (USPS, 2014).
Historical Background
The history of USPS, as described on the agency's website, "is an ongoing story of enormous depth and breadth, rooted in a single, great principle: that every person in the United States — no matter who, no matter where — has the right to equal access to secure, efficient, and affordable mail service" (USPS, 2014). In colonial times, those mainly responsible for delivering mail were merchants or friends. It was not until 1639 that the very first postal service was formed, driven by the need for colonists to dispatch mail to England. The official overseas mail drop was Richard Fairbanks' tavern in Boston. Over time, a number of local authorities established distinct routes between specific jurisdictions and colonies. William Penn pioneered the first official post office in 1683, situated in Pennsylvania.
After the 1774 Boston riots set the stage for the creation of an independent government, the Continental Congress was established, and Benjamin Franklin was elevated to the position of Postmaster General a year later. As Postmaster General, Franklin oversaw operations at the newly established Post Office Department. During these early periods, mail was typically transported on horseback or on foot by carriers. By the 1960s, there was a recognized need to enhance the efficiency of mail delivery operations. The reforms adopted during that era ultimately led to the official renaming and rebranding of the Post Office Department as the United States Postal Service.
Global Dimensions and Diversity
With the world now functioning as a global village, USPS has identified the need to partner with postal services operating in diverse locations around the world. One such partner is FedEx Express, whose business relationship with USPS is reflected in the agency's Global Express Guaranteed service.
USPS also places considerable value on diversity. As stated on its website, diversity means "building an inclusive environment that respects the uniqueness of every individual and encourages the contributions of people from different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives" (USPS, 2014). The agency's employees are drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, making its workforce one of the most diverse in the nation.
References
John, D. (2002). Organizational Learning and Effectiveness. New York, NY: Routledge.
United States Postal Service – USPS. (2014). United States Postal Service: About. Retrieved from http://about.usps.com/welcome.htm
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