Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby – Practice what you Preach An organization, in its simplest form, is comprised of people brought together to achieve a common goal whether it be solving a problem, selling a product or providing a service. The existence of the organization is wholly dependent on the collective body of individuals involved and it is these individuals that are the driving force behind the success or failure of a company. The relationships that connect the people within the organization dictate how the culture is developed and perceived. Organizational culture is the summation of the underlying organizational values manifesting as collective assumptions, attitudes, beliefs, expectations and norms. Grounded in the customs and values of the organizational construct as well as in the experiences and interactions of the people within its walls, culture is the personality of an organization. In order to unravel the complex dynamics of culture within an organization, Edgar Schein offers a theory which categorizes culture into three basic elements, artifacts, espoused values and basic assumptions (Nelson & Quick, 2011). Based out of Oklahoma City, Hobby Lobby is an organization that has become estranged from their core values creating a perception of selectivity and partiality fostering an unhealthy and marginalized culture. In 1972 CEO David Green took his small picture frame business and transformed it into the now expansive hobby and craft store which in 2010 was ranked number 198 in Forbes list of America’s largest private companies (Forbes.com, 2010). Set apart from their competitors by their biblical foundations, Hobby Lobby’s core values are reflected in the first sentence of the organization’s statement of purpose “Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles” (Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc Statement of Purpose, 2010). Hobby Lobby’s key philosophy is to foster success by cultivating

References: Forbes.com (2010). America’s Largest Private Companies. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/21/private-companies-10_land.html Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc (2011). Company profile: Statement of Purpose. Retrieved from http://www.hobbylobby.com/our_company/purpose.cfm Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2011). Organizational behavior, science, the real world, and you. (7th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Pub.