Problem Solving Zappos

Read Problem solving application case, page 628-630 of the text, Zappos CEO Asks Employees to Commit to Teal or Leave. and answer the three Discussion Questions that follow the reading. In your submission please use headings that correspond to the questions.

Directions:
Answer these Discussion Questions:

Define the problem: Remember that the problem is the gap between the desired and the current state. State the problem as the gap and be sure to consider all 3 levels and if one is more important focus on it for parts 2 & 3.

Identify the causes of the problem: Use the procedure in step #2 to determine the cause and explain why?

Make your recommendation for solving the problem: Use the procedure in step #3 for a recommendation and implementation plan.
Provide a title page with your name and date.
Your content should include 600 words, and use a double-spaced Times New Roman font.
You should include headings, topic sentences, and the inclusion of the weekly learning.
You can complete this assignment using the text material, however if you use an outside source, please cite it using APA format.

ANSWER

Zappos Problem Solving Case Analysis

Identified Organizational Problem

The major problem evidenced in the case study is the lack of a quality organizational culture. The introduction of the holocracy culture was meant to offer workers with self-management tactics. Its primary target was to allow workers to build an internal drive towards their duties and that money remained a non-essential factor. Achieving self-management would boost their motivation and job satisfaction as they had improved representation in the company. For example, the new structure had no job titles descriptions, and power was distributed to everyone. However, this was not the case since Zappos workforce experienced challenges with the new structure. It ended up creating bureaucracies and hierarchies. Also, the system was confusing and time-consuming since the workers had to learn the new holacracy vocabulary. The gap between the desired and the current outcomes raises the key issue in this case. It all goes back to the lack of a quality organizational culture that dictates crucial changes in the workplace. If Zappos had a well-established and excellent culture, it would have been better positioned to recommend and introduce potential changes in the workplace. The organizational culture is a major force behind corporate changes (Kinicki & Fugate, 2021). This portrays a quality culture as the foundation behind feasible and quality changes across all establishments. The absence of an excellent culture leaves the firm’s leadership exposed to an inadequate system that fails to generate the desired results.

Causes of the Problem

Lack of Workforce Involvement

One of the key factors behind the problem is the lack of workforce involvement. If Zappos took the time to engage and involve its employees, it would establish a quality and supportive workforce. Missing this perspective exposes it to a situation where the leadership introduces changes that fail to align with workforce needs, interests, and expectations. For example, if the management had adopted workforce involvement, this would have been a significant opportunity to realize their needs and interests. This would have facilitated a quality organizational culture that represents all their expectations. The management introduced the holocracy system that created massive dissatisfaction in the workplace. This causes a large segment of the workers to terminate their services with Zappos after the severance pay. Besides the lack of employee involvement, Zappos has no strategic goal that guides its decision-making processes.

The Lack of a Strategic Goal

Zappos lacks a strategic goal, which leaves it unable to develop and implement a quality organizational culture. The “commit to teal or leave” appears to threaten workers who fail to abide and uphold the newly introduced strategy. It does not communicate the strategic goal that the company has at hand. This exposes it in a situation where it cannot create an excellent corporate culture that guides all its actions. Thus, Zappos leadership has failed to adopt and implement a strategic goal that drives it when developing various organizational actions. It would have been essential if the business had a clear and smart strategic plan. This way, the firm would have established valuable organizational changes aligning with the specific goal. Strategic alignment guarantees decision effectiveness (Ghonim et al., 2020). It allows leaders to formulate decisions encompassing the capacity and potential to achieve the projected goals and objectives.

Recommendations for Solving the Problem

Improved Workforce Engagement

Zappos can handle the lack of a quality organizational culture challenge by accelerating workforce engagement and participation. This allows the business to understand employee needs, interests, and expectations. For instance, if the corporate leaders engage workers when targeting organizational changes, they stand a better chance of assessing if the desired course of actions relates to their interests. This will help formulate and implement strategies that inspire and motivate workers to perform to their level best. As Sun and Bunchapattanasakda (2019) states, workforce engagement relays improved individual and organizational performance. Employees become focused on their duties when corporate leaders establish practices and strategies relevant to their needs. This leads to advanced individual performance, which accelerates organizational growth and productivity. Thus, if Zappos engages its team members, it stands a better chance of formulating an excellent corporate culture. Also, improved workforce support is an essential factor that can strengthen functionality in the workplace.

Improved Employee Support Systems

Zappos should offer quality support to its team members, especially after introducing a change process in the workplace. This entails effective communication processes and orientation. These tactics will ensure that Zappos improves its corporate culture and readily prepares its team of professionals to accept and accommodate various change processes. Implementing this approach calls for enhanced interactions with the employees. For example, Zappos can formulate frequent meeting sessions with its workers to discuss emerging issues and find the best way of handling them collectively.

Overall, Zappos lack of a suitable organizational culture disadvantages it as far as making strategic changes is concerned. Its workforce is likely to feel dissatisfied with the decisions made due to the lack of involvement and engagement. Its leadership should pay attention to improved workforce engagement and providing numerous support systems to enable them initiate positive and robust changes in the workplace. Thus, an improved workplace culture lays the foundation for crucial decisions that possess massive potential for improved workforce and organizational performance.

Reference

Ghonim, M. A., Khashaba, N. M., Al-Najaar, H. M., & Khashan, M. A. (2020). Strategic alignment and its impact on decision effectiveness: a comprehensive model. International Journal of Emerging Markets.

Kinicki, A., & Fugate, M. (2021). Organizational Behavior: A practical, problem-solving approach (Vol. 2). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Sun, L., & Bunchapattanasakda, C. (2019). Employee Engagement: A Literature Review. International Journal of Human Resource Studies. 9(1): 63. 10.5296/ijhrs.v9i1.14167.