Case Study: Trader Joe's Company

There is a long ongoing battle that is being waged between unions and business since the rise of large corporations. Unions were created to fight higher official corruption and to protect workers from unfavorable conditions and unfair treatment by top-level officials, companies take extreme measures to prevent the creation of unions within their organizations. There are positive and negative effects for both nonunion and unionized companies. Preventing workers from unionizing is a difficult task for organizations especially as they expand into the global arena. More is demanded from employees usually with little added benefits (thus the reason for unionization). A notable successful company is Trader Joe’s, who’s business strategy and cultural
There is no hierarchy or separation of power because all are viewed as vital to the success of the company. Everyone performs the same job at some point in their careers and everyone’s opinions are heard and respected (Lewis, 2005). Employee voice is a key component in Trader Joe’s success. According to Employee Voice is a Key to a Successful Business, “voice is the foundation of sustainable business success. It increases employee engagement, enables effective decision-making and drives innovation” (Newcombe, 2012). Listening to and considering employee concerns it important to retaining talent. People need to feel that they are being heard and respected; otherwise, they will leave and go somewhere else where they believe they will be
If a company has an effective employee voice they are more likely to understand what is occurring within the organization (Newcombe, 2012). People are not machines. They have thoughts, feelings, and opinions; all of which can be beneficial to an organization if they receive and utilize the information correctly. Not many people will be content (or willing to stay) somewhere they does not value their opinions. Employee voice is a way to establish trust between employees and managers which leads to greater efficiency and growth. If a company wants to prevent the possibility of a union forming it is important to incorporate employee voice into its overall business strategy. Finding ways to include employees in more than just the day-to-day operations is necessary to retain employees and decrease the likelihood of discontentment and