The Zappos Case: Can We Get Both Happiness And Profits ?

I came across an article from Tony Hsieh who built Zappos with the vision of putting his people first, at the center of the company’s core values.  But when the financial crisis hit,  investors wanted their money back with the old mentality :

…the board took the conventional view — namely, that a business should focus on profitability first and then use the profits to do nice things for its employees. The board’s attitude was that my “social experiments” might make for good PR but that they didn’t move the overall business forward. The board wanted me, or whoever was CEO, to spend less time on worrying about employee happiness and more time selling shoes.

Tony Hsieh managed to sell Zappos to Amazon in stock without changing the company philosophy as long as Hsieh can delivered results on targeted profits and growth.  In the first quarter of 2010, net sales at Zappos were up almost 50 percent, and several hundred new employee were hired.

What Makes Zappos Culture Unique?  ”the core values from which we develop our culture, our brand, and our business strategies. These are the ten core values that we live by“:

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

More here : http://about.zappos.com/our-unique-culture/zappos-core-values

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