Introduction
Its 7:30 on a July morning, and already a crowd has gathered for the opening of Trader Joe 's newest outpost, in Manhattan 's Chelsea neighborhood. The waiting shoppers chat about their favorite Trader Joe 's foods, and a woman in line launches into a monologue comparing the retailer 's West Coast and East Coast locations. Another customer suggests that the chain will be good for Chelsea, even though the area is already brimming with places to buy groceries, including Whole Foods and several upscale food boutiques (Kowitt, 2010). Trader Joe’s has taken a typical trip to the grocery store and turned it into an extravagant experience. All the while they’ve figure out how to keep the costs lower than any of its competitors. What has Trader Joe’s done that is so unique and so different than its competitor’s? Trader Joe’s is what I would consider a High Performance Organization (HPO).
High-performance organizations are the exemplars of successful businesses. They represent real-world models of a modern managerial ideal: organizations that excel in so many areas that they consistently outperform competitors for extended periods of time (Insitute for Corporate Productiivity, Inc, 2010). Many organizations strive to be High Performance Organizations (HPO’s). Some go by more traditional ways of reaching that goal but never quite reach the level they desire. What does it take to create an HPO? What are the differences between HPO’s and traditional organizations?
My analysis of this issue will go in depth with recommendations that follow the 5 domains of a High Performance Organization. I will use Trader’s Joe’s corporate culture to show why they continue to grow and outperform their competitors. Lastly I will show comparisons of HPO’s and traditional organizations and why HPO’s perform on a much larger scale.
Problem Statement
The problem with traditional organizations is that they exercise a more
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