Case Study: Not Just Another Outdoor Company
THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
MM2021: Management & Organization
|Case Study: Not Just Another Outdoor Company |
Case Scenario
The company we are discussing this time, based in Portland, Oregon, was the brainchild of a small group of executives who left big-time jobs at Patagonia, Nike, and Adidas. These individuals shared a belief that “in addition to generating a profit, companies have an equal responsibility to create positive social and environmental change”. Putting their beliefs into action, the group formed Nau (which is Maori for “Welcome! Come in”). And Nau is not just another outdoor company!
When deciding what Nau was going to be like and how it was going to do business, the founders know they did not want to do things the way they would always been done by traditional businesses. CEO Chris Van Dyke said, “We started with a clean whiteboard. We believed every single operational element in our business was an opportunity to turn traditional business notions inside out, integrating environmental, social, and economic factors”. From design to sales to finances, Nau is driven by these factors. Everything is Nau’s operation has been approached with a sustainability and social justice “Filter”.
In the design area, the company, in partnership with suppliers, developed 24 of its 32 fabrics to be more sustainable and to combine performance and visual appeal. Each supplier, manufacturer, and even Nau itself is bound by a code of conduct. To ensure that all parties are living up to the standards, their actions are overseen by an independent, nonprofit auditing and research firm. In the sales area, the way the company retails its product is also unique. Using a concept it calls a “Web-front”, Nau has combined the efficiency of the Web with the intimacy of a gallery-like boutique. In the “store”, customers can try on clothes, but
MM2021: Management & Organization
|Case Study: Not Just Another Outdoor Company |
Case Scenario
The company we are discussing this time, based in Portland, Oregon, was the brainchild of a small group of executives who left big-time jobs at Patagonia, Nike, and Adidas. These individuals shared a belief that “in addition to generating a profit, companies have an equal responsibility to create positive social and environmental change”. Putting their beliefs into action, the group formed Nau (which is Maori for “Welcome! Come in”). And Nau is not just another outdoor company!
When deciding what Nau was going to be like and how it was going to do business, the founders know they did not want to do things the way they would always been done by traditional businesses. CEO Chris Van Dyke said, “We started with a clean whiteboard. We believed every single operational element in our business was an opportunity to turn traditional business notions inside out, integrating environmental, social, and economic factors”. From design to sales to finances, Nau is driven by these factors. Everything is Nau’s operation has been approached with a sustainability and social justice “Filter”.
In the design area, the company, in partnership with suppliers, developed 24 of its 32 fabrics to be more sustainable and to combine performance and visual appeal. Each supplier, manufacturer, and even Nau itself is bound by a code of conduct. To ensure that all parties are living up to the standards, their actions are overseen by an independent, nonprofit auditing and research firm. In the sales area, the way the company retails its product is also unique. Using a concept it calls a “Web-front”, Nau has combined the efficiency of the Web with the intimacy of a gallery-like boutique. In the “store”, customers can try on clothes, but