Publix Supermarket Inc.: A Case Study

In 1930, a man by the name of George W. Jenkins founded one of the most dynamic employee-owned supermarket chains in the state of Florida. With challenging work and determination, George and his associates made Publix Supermarket Inc. an industry leader throughout the southeast region of the United States. It has been known to be a wonderful place to work, tops in customer service and satisfaction, while being nationally involved in the community. As of today, Publix has grown to over 1,144 stores in 6 states, and continues to receive awards and recognition from top magazines and organizations. Publix is dedicated to customer value, employee security and the responsibility of planning and managing stockholder’s investments. Publix's culture involves investing in others, giving back to the community, preparing for opportunity when associates look to move up in the company, respecting the dignity of the individual and treating customers like royalty (George Jenkins, 1996).

Leadership Practices of the Primary Leader John Harbor is a deli manager at Publix
He is responsible for the overall operation of the deli department. He plays a key role in the company because of his ability to communicate effectively with his associates as well as the customers in the store. By observing the daily sales reports, John understands what customers need and want. Many catering orders from customers come through the deli department on a continuous basis and John must set and delegate the responsibilities to his associates. Since most of his associates at the store have worked with John for many years, they have the knowledge and self-motivation he has set as the norm to complete any task in a timely manner. Everyday John must plan the next day's events by making sure product is available always. And, using daily projections through the corporate database, John is able to schedule the right amount of staff throughout the