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Calm Seas: Examining the Organizational Culture at Trader Joes 1

Calm Seas: Examining the Organizational Culture at Trader Joes

October 11, 2011

Communication 660

Kenyon Stanley


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Let me just come right out and say it. I do not like to go grocery shopping. If one

were ever to see me in a grocery store, I am only in the store to buy a few items (usually

beer, snacks and whatever else my wife asks me to pick up). I get frustrated with long

lines, crowded aisles and ever present humming noises from the fluorescent lights. I am

loyal to Harris Teeter. However, the only reason why I shop there is that the store is less

than a mile from my home. Convenience is the only reason why I even have a VIC card.

Until recently, I thought that all grocery stores were the same. Therefore, when I found

out that our communication culture class was going to evaluate the organizational culture

at Trader Joes grocery store, I was not excited at all. I had never been to a Trader Joes

and my preconceived notion was that I would be walking into just another grocery store.

Boy was I wrong.

Immediately upon entering Trader Joes, I realized that this establishment was

different than any other grocery store that I had been in. There were no announcements

over the intercom and employees were dressed in Hawaiian shirts. Guided by Mark, the

store manager (known as Captain in Trader Joes jargon), our class was given the

(corporate) scoop behind Trader Joes design and business philosophy.

It was obvious by the employees dress, titles, signage and overall environment

that the company operates using a nautical theme. The nautical theme is reified in other

ways as well. Employees who are in training train in areas of the store and are given

passports. Once an employee completes her/his training in an area, him/her receives a

stamp on the passport. Trader Joes themed indoctrination system encourages employees

to buy in to the organizational metaphor and increases the product knowledge of the

overall staff in ways that traditional grocery stores do not. Furthermore, obtaining buy in


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strengthens the overall culture of the company and creates a platform where informal

subcultures can form between employees that organically reinforce the dominant culture

in ways that structural systems cannot. For example, Captain Mark mentioned all of the

different ways that Trader Joes involves employees in creating the displays and placing

artifacts around the store. Although the artifacts do have to support the nautical theme,

employees are given the choice of where the artifacts go and what the artifacts are. One

example is the artwork. Captain Mark explained that one of his part time employees

designs art on her spare time and is very talented. Therefore on her spare time, she is

creating items that reinforce Trader Joes organizational identity. Furthermore, by

empowering the employees with decision making that wouldnt occur in a traditional

grocery store, employees feel more involved and connected with the organization and

each other. Considering that employees are empowered and made to feel valued, the

culture between employee and the organization definitely appears to be strong.

According to Driskill, G.W. & A.L. Brenton (2011), organizations with strong

cultures contain surface cultural elements that are tied into employee beliefs and

assumptions (p. 43). Trader Joes employees truly believe that they are involved.

Another example of employee involvement at Trader Joes is evident in one of the ways

they feature products for sale. Trader Joes have various displays strategically located

throughout the store that feature crew picks. Crew picks are items that any employee

thinks others will enjoy (usually because she/he enjoys the item him/herself). When

Trader Joes features a crew pick item, the product is displayed separately from other

items with a picture of the employee and a brief story about the employee and why she/he


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enjoys the product. The crew pick promotion reifies the strong culture by strengthening

the common bonds between organization and personal identity.

According to Driskill et. Al (2011), most employees can tell stories about history

and heroes (p.43). Although we only talked to Captain Mark, he knew the history and

stories of Trader Joes (as any manager should). Ironically, the original owner (Joe

Colombe) sold the company several years ago to a German company. However, the new

leadership appears to operate with a hands off philosophy. Therefore if there was/is

any backlash from the employees following the transfer of power, it was not

communicated to us. On the surface, it appears that Trader Joes managed to keep their

organizational identity and suffered little, if any, organizational cultural change after the

sale. However, additional interviews with long term current and prior employees that

experienced organizational life under Colombes reign and under the current leadership

may yield different results.

Trader Joes relationship with its customers reveals other elements that reveal

unique cultural features. First of all, while other grocery stores appear to be the same,

Trader Joes prides itself on being different. Trader Joes clientele get an opportunity to

engage in a shopping experience. I will not go so far to say that I would look forward to

shopping at Trader Joes. However, after shopping there on Sunday, I was intrigued at

the experience. The lighting was soft and pleasant Island Music took the edge off as I

was waiting in line. Instead of using an intercom, Trader Joes uses a bell to

communicate operational needs to their employees. One ring of the bell lets other

employees know that more cashiers are needed up front. Two bells indicate that

something is broken and someone is needed to clean up a mess and three bells let


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a discounted rate. Trader Joes handles all of their own packaging and shipping so the

discounted price actually fits within the profit margin guidelines of both distributor and

vendor. Furthermore, customers ultimately receive the benefit of purchasing a product

that is lower in price than other grocery stores. Furthermore, Trader Joes requires their

vendors to meet specific ingredient and health standards if a vendor plans to stock their

item in Trader Joes. Although at first, Trader Joes policies with their vendors didnt

appear to be a cultural element to me. After reflecting on the images that I had of a

healthy grocery store, I soon realized that Trader Joes is changing the way I view healthy

shopping. For example, when I am at Harris Teeter, I notice that the organic fruits and

vegetables are usually 20-30% higher than non-organic items. When I compared Trader

Joes organic vegetables to Harris Teeters non-organic vegetables, I was astonished to

find that Trader Joes products were cheaper. As a non-educated shopper, I always

thought that healthy and organic products identified a more expensive product. Therefore

Trader Joes has redefined my view of healthy shopping. Healthy, organic and local food

doesnt necessarily mean that the product is more expensive.

In conclusion, its apparent that Trader Joes is different than other grocery stores.

I enjoyed visiting the store and speaking to Mark. However, Mark was very well

schooled in communicating the Trader Joes message. While on the surface, Marks

communication indicates that Trader Joes does indeed have a strong organizational

culture, Mark is a manager and further interviews would be required in order to conduct a

complete comprehensive cultural analysis. Interviewing additional current and former

employees could possibly reveal reoccurring themes and metaphors that would either

reinforce or contradict the message that Mark communicated to us during the visit.


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Furthermore, I only shopped at Trader Joes once. While the nostalgia of the different

shopping experience intrigued me, I cant honestly say that after a few visits, whether or

not I would be equally annoyed with the shopping experience at Trader Joes as I am at

traditional grocery stores. When would the nostalgia wear off? Lastly, we heard the

relational aspects between Trader Joes and their vendors through the lens of a Trader

Joes spokesperson. I would be interested in hearing the opinions of current and former

vendors. Maybe further analysis would reinforce what Mark communicated to us, maybe

not. In any case, Trader Joes is different and they are an organization that is worth

analyzing further.


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References

Driskill, G.W. & Brenton, A.L. (2011). Organizational Culture in Action: A Cultural

Analysis Workbook (2nd

edition). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

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