Kudler Fine Foods ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR

Kudler Fine Foods Organizational Behavior

Kudler Fine Foods Organizational Behavior

Introduction

How can an organization know if it is ready for change or not? Is there something specific within that organization that stands out as a marker for the need for change? Perhaps with an analysis of the fundamental characteristics of that organization, the answer will be clear. Kudler Fine Foods (Kudler Fine Foods) provides an example of a small business that requires this analysis. By establishing what this upscale specialty food stores' company culture entails, change can be anticipated and the decision whether or not Kudler Fine Foods is ready for vital changes can be understood. The organizational structure, leadership styles as they relate to employee performance and motivation, and the internal and external drivers of change will provide a helpful insight into where this company should focus its attention.

Company Culture

Kudler Fine Foods, like many businesses has a mission. This mission as indicated on the intranet is to provide their customers with the finest in selected foodstuffs, wines, and related needs in an unparalleled consumer environment. Furthermore, their selection, coupled with their experienced, helpful and knowledgeable staff, merge to offer each customer a delightful and pleasing shopping experience. Specific variables provide important information related to what type of culture exists at Kudler Fine Foods.

One variable relates to the President Kathy Kudler as she prides herself on hard work, long hours and customer satisfaction. Since Kudler Fine Foods's entrance into the specialty foods market, the working environment has been a fast paced, energetic and infused with knowledgeable, courteous employee that help to create the delightful and pleasing shopping experience for the customers. Gomez-Mejia and Balkin state, “the culture of an organization evolves over time, yet it is heavily influenced by the beliefs and philosophy of the organization's founders” (2002, p. 8). With the foundation of Kudler's work ethic accompanied by a handful of specially selected employees, Kudler Fine Foods maintains the high quality of service and customer oriented culture that Kudler herself works so hard to show every day by stocking shelves, working the registers or interacting with customers.

As Kudler Fine Foods expresses the importance of the customer shopping experience, attention is primarily focused on the visible culture of the employees. Therefore, the cashiers, baggers, stockers and clerks must be well groomed, possess high quality interpersonal skills and above all, be customer focused. With a competitive compensation philosophy, employees strive to create a pleasant shopping experience for customers while also establishing a positive working environment. The Kudler Fine Foods intranet indicates, “highly satisfied employees create highly satisfied customers” (The Apollo Group, 2003).

In addition to the President's hardworking approach to business, the employee's positive attitudes, and a mission to reach high quality customer satisfaction, there also exist a variety of core beliefs that contribute to the culture at Kudler Fine Foods. One core belief is that employees thrive on reliability and consistency to achieve efficiency. Employees are monitored for performance with reviews and also given goals with which they ...