Comparative Study of Wegmans’ and Giant's Management Styles
Comparative Study of Wegmans’ and Giant’s Management Styles and the Effects on their Organizational Culture
Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Professor Rainwater
20 April 2010
Abstract
Organizational culture can be defined as a set of understandings or meanings shared by a group of people that are largely tacit among members and are clearly relevant and distinctive to the particular group which are also passed on to new members (Louis, 1980). A review of two long-time super grocers, Wegmans and Giant, suggests that an organization's culture develops to help it cope with its environment. Wegmans’ has a defined culture that is visible in all aspects of the business and can be considered a major attribute to the organization’s economic success. Giant does not have a defined culture and the result is evident in dissatisfied employees and difficulties with organizational transformations. The success of an implementation of a new strategic plan leading to a new vision must be consistent with the organization’s culture. Comparative Study of Wegmans’ and Giant’s Management Styles and the Effects on their Organizational Culture
Core Values/Philosophy
Wegmans is a privately owned company with humble beginnings in 1915 as a mom and pop grocery store in Rochester, New York which is still its headquarters. The company’s values are deeply embedded in its roots. The ideology of a family business was born when sons Walter and John Wegman helped by working the business. Walter worked in the grocery store while John peddled fresh produce from a pushcart. In 1916, John opened the Rochester Fruit & Vegetable Co., and Walter joined him a year later. By 1921, the two brothers bought the Seel Grocery Co., and expanded their operations to include general groceries and bakery operations. Today, Danny Wegman is CEO and his daughter, Colleen, is president. Wegmans boasts of 75 stores located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland
Leadership and Organizational Behavior
Professor Rainwater
20 April 2010
Abstract
Organizational culture can be defined as a set of understandings or meanings shared by a group of people that are largely tacit among members and are clearly relevant and distinctive to the particular group which are also passed on to new members (Louis, 1980). A review of two long-time super grocers, Wegmans and Giant, suggests that an organization's culture develops to help it cope with its environment. Wegmans’ has a defined culture that is visible in all aspects of the business and can be considered a major attribute to the organization’s economic success. Giant does not have a defined culture and the result is evident in dissatisfied employees and difficulties with organizational transformations. The success of an implementation of a new strategic plan leading to a new vision must be consistent with the organization’s culture. Comparative Study of Wegmans’ and Giant’s Management Styles and the Effects on their Organizational Culture
Core Values/Philosophy
Wegmans is a privately owned company with humble beginnings in 1915 as a mom and pop grocery store in Rochester, New York which is still its headquarters. The company’s values are deeply embedded in its roots. The ideology of a family business was born when sons Walter and John Wegman helped by working the business. Walter worked in the grocery store while John peddled fresh produce from a pushcart. In 1916, John opened the Rochester Fruit & Vegetable Co., and Walter joined him a year later. By 1921, the two brothers bought the Seel Grocery Co., and expanded their operations to include general groceries and bakery operations. Today, Danny Wegman is CEO and his daughter, Colleen, is president. Wegmans boasts of 75 stores located in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland
References: Pfeffer, Jeffrey & Veiga, John (1999). Putting People First for Organizational Success. Academy of Management Executive, 13(2), Retrieved April 15, 2010 from http://proxy.devry.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&Auth Typehttp://proxy.devry.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com=url,cookie,ip,uid&db=buh&AN=1899547&site=ehost-live&scope=site Respect (2010). Retrieved April 7, 2010 from http://www.wegmans.com Schermerhorn, John, Jr., Hunt, Osborn and Uhl-Bien (2010). Organizational Behavior 11th Ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Wegmans Commitment to the Community (2010). Retrieved April 7, 2010 from http://www.wegmans.com Wegmans Scholarships (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2010 from https://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&partNumber=UNIVERSAL_4368. Footnotes