Cultural Elements

ch. 5, page 128

Within every organization, there are symbols that individuals and groups use. When combined in a certain way, these symbolic expressions define an organization's culture.

My first day of my internship at Nordstrom was Monday and for the last two days we have talked a lot about the cultural elements that make up the company. So for this post, I will share some of those.

Metaphor: Nordstom is a family. (Not only is there the actual Nordstom family that runs the company, but as employees, we should help and take care of each other like we would a member of our own family)

Rituals: Customer All-stars and Pacesetters. (People who are outstanding at giving customer service or are one of the top 10% in sales are recognized in organization-wide celebrations)

Stories: How Nordstrom was started. (The story of how John Nordstrom started with a small shoe company in 1901 and grew it into a multi-billion dollar company is told in order to reinforce Nordstrom's main values of customer service and hard-work)

Artifacts: Dress code. (As a member of a high-end department store, Nordstrom employees are expected to dress fashionable and professional - when customers look at us they should want to look like us)

Heroes and Heroines: Customer All-stars and John Nordstom. (Since customer service is Nordstrom's number one priority, any one who receives the all-star award is idolized and of course the founder, John Nordstrom, is hailed because he made Nordstom into the fashion-giant they are today)

Performances: Your professional vs. your personal reality. (When in Nordstom, whether you are on the sales floor or walking through the store on your way to lunch, employees must remember who they represent and act accordingly)

Values: Customer service. (Even above our actual merchandise, customer service is what separates Nordstrom from other clothing stores and thus is values above all else)

Later on (pg. 138) the book site Nordstrom as a 'cult-like' culture in the sense that the company explicitly articulates their overriding goals and values to ensure that employee behavior is guided and consistent with the ideology. From my past two days at work, I can honestly say that the book is completely correct in this example and that Nordstom as an organization relies on its culture to shape it's employees behavior rather than provide them with an entire book of rules.