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Trader Joes & Organizational Behavior

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Trader Joe's
Read and reflect on the case study about Trader Joe's on page 26 of the textbook. Consider Joe Coulombe's approach to organizational design, and analyze the effects and applications of the various organizational structures and levels of authority. Given the benefits and motivations mentioned in the case study, share an analysis of Trader Joe's impact on employee motivation, morale, and organizational culture.

No plagiarism
All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced;
paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations

Your paper should be at least two pages in length, not including the title page or reference page.

MBA 6001, Organizational Research and Theory

Course Textbook Jones, G. R. (2013). Organizational theory, design, and change(7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

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Solution Summary

Detailed solution, with citations, that describes Trader Joe's approach to organizational design, and the effects and applications of decentralization on employee motivation, morale and behavior. APA formatted. From case study in Jone's (2013) Organizational Behavior text.

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Decentralized Management at Trader Joes
Joe Coulombe, the founder of Trader Joe's, knew that he needed to make a change in his business. He could no longer complete in the marketplace selling less goods for more money. Coulombe decided he needed a unique selling niche in order to be successful. He decided to change his sales strategy to sell "upscale specialty products such as wine, drinks, and gourmet foods" (Jones, 2013, p. 11). In addition, he decided to empower his store staff by changing to a decentralized operation (Jones, 2013). Coulombe was eager to offer his customers a discernable difference in terms of product and store service.
Organizational behavior was an important component in this change. Coulombe used decentralized operation as a way to motivate employees to care more about the customers. By empowering employees (and assigning them fancy titles like "Captain") employees are more likely to work to increase and demonstrate their knowledge and skills, as well as show more responsibility. They feel like they contribute to the operation, and have a vested interest to succeed. Jones (2013) states that Trader Joe's increased the rate of pay for ...

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