Question

Describe the espoused values of a company you have worked for (or been exposed to - e.g., as a customer), but then describe how their enacted values were similar or different.

Answer 1

We would discuss the espoused values of a company which everyone in the ecommerce industry should have a fair idea and thats Amazon run by Jeff Bezos .I would be reviewing this company as a customer.The esposed values of the company,in short means the stated values whch a company believes in and showcases them in the form of mission statement,vision and mission etc.Enacted values represents the values and norms which are exhibited in reality by the employees and the partners.

The primary espoused values in their mission statement  and whether they were similar to the enacted values can be discussed under the following heads.We would identify wherein their espoused values are enacted values and wherein there is a value congruence.

1) Faster and Lightning Speed Delivery:Amazon surprisingly has always used their low cost lightning fast delivery as its primary selling point and since inception they have honored the same.With introduction of Prime and Prime Now they have made the deliveries possible within two hours of a customer placing order

2) Customer First : With their trong backoffice and support team Amazon,barring using certain underhand techniques by using customer data to sell them the product giving them maximum profit ,it has maintained the espoused vs enacted values of the organizational structure.

3)Long Term Inclusive Growth :

As espoused in its mission statement,Amazon has always concentrated on long term growth instead of short term profits and initiated inclusive growth giving both the consumer and the supplier an open platform to grow.Hence similarity with enacted values.

4) Great Supplier Strength and Partnership :Although Amazon has espoused value wherein suppliers are treated as business partners,their enacted values donot match the same.As per a reearch paper the sellers who were paying for Amazon services got the preferences when a customer sold the product even it was expensive than what other suppliers offered.It has also used its algorithm to track fast selling products and then gradually remove the seller on account of quality and then becomes its sole seller with increased margins.

5) Maintaining high standards of Corporate Social Responsibility:Amazon has espoused value of maintaining high standards of Corporate Social Responsibility.This is wherein they fail horribly in ensuring similarity with enacted values even though they maintain majority of their espoused values.Right from tax avoidance to exploitation of workers and a toxic work culture ,they couldnt maintain or employ the espoused values of Corporate Social Responsibility.