Amazon.com, Inc.: Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace

Author
Choi, S.
Region
North America
Topic
Strategy & General Management
Marketing & Sales
Human Resources & Organizational Behavior
Length
20 pages
Keywords
2008
corporate culture
employee relations
Technology
workplace culture
Copyright Holder
Notre Dame
Student Price
$4.00
Target Audience
Graduate Students
Undergraduate Students

On August 15, 2015, The New York Times published the results of an investigation, entitled “Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big Ideas in a Bruising Workplace.” The article denounced a brutal working culture at Amazon.com. Having consistently outperformed its competitors, Amazon is now recognized as the most valuable retailer in the United States, enjoying the biggest market capitalization in its industry. Against the background of Amazon’s impressive business expansion, this case examines the relationship between a growing social discontent toward Amazon and an aggressive corporate culture long favored by the company.

Learning Outcomes
  1. To study the dichotomy of conflict and cooperation in a workplace. Competition among employees is a source of growth, but so is cooperation. How much of each is appropriate?
  2. To encourage readers to think about the relationship between a company’s culture and its longterm growth model.
  3. To craft the best response to a negative news article about a company’s work culture.
  4. To think about the most appropriate method of communication in the event of a corporate crisis accelerated by negative media coverage.