Introducing: Unique Corporate Cultures by Scared of Clowns




By: Lindsay Miller
Welcome to the Scared of Clowns blog. Do not let the name fool you; clowns, although terrifying, will not form the basis of this blog. We are Brendan Fox, Do Sung, Michael Attridge, Lily Nie, and Lindsay Miller reporting from the perspective of Organizational Behavior concepts. Please continue reading to discover the fresh insight we will provide on Unique Corporate Cultures that have sprung up across the nation.

In business today, Corporate Culture is not only a Buzz word, it is becoming a competitive advantage. As processes are streamlined and technology advances, the way to pull away from competition is through a solid, talent-development program. In other words, who companies hire to work and represent them. So how do companies attract and retain such talent? Competitive salaries and benefits are always helpful, but currently the Millenial generation is asking for more. More Social Responsibility. More Social Scenes. More Work/Life Balance. More Diversity of Task. More Sustainability Efforts. Many of these factors also work to gain the trust and the business of customers seeking similar initiatives, but the bottom line is that both consumer and employee are looking at the not-so-simple, somewhat intangible concept of Culture.

Team Scared of Clowns will take you through a series of companies that are particularly unique in the way that they manifest their culture: from jungle-themed office space to paid volunteer time-off to functional interest squads and beyond. Follow along as we take you through the by-product of a changing world where companies are no longer just marketing their products, but their identities as well.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

How Weird Are You?

In the Internet era, the emergence of e-commerce and online companies has revolutionized the way business is conducted. With the expansion of information, the whole world will very quickly when your culture negatively impacts your workers’ performance. The only thing to do is reform your culture to enable your employees or risk losing your best talent to other firms. So why is it that Zappos.com keeps growing and adding more and more employees? Besides its ability to provide excellent customer service and cheap products, which have grossed $1 billion in sales in 2009, Zappos places a massive emphasis on its company culture and its core values.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, the company boasts its eccentricity and embraces their differences from others. With its own Zappos Family “culture book,” the company delves into massive detail on how to be a Zappos employee. While their core values serve as guidelines, the actual implementation provides the outside viewer with a better understanding of the culture. Employees experience free lunches and vending machines, and have access to a library, a nap room, and free health care. In addition, employees are encouraged to decorate their workspaces, with some ranging from a rainforest theme to others having an Elvis theme. Tony Hsieh, the CEO, even has an inflatable monkey in his cubicle. Employees are encouraged to spend 10-20% of their working hours simply goofing off, and some even lead parades through the office.

Intent on hiring the weird and fun, Zappos utilizes an intensive interview process, with surprising questions such as “how weird are you on a scale of 1-10” and “what is your theme song?” After the initial interviews, new hires undergo a rigorous customer loyalty training course, in which these employees are offered $2,000 to quit at the end of it. While the incentive to quit and take $2,000 is strong, it also provides an understanding of Zappos’ culture, in that each employee is dedicated to the company. Those that do not quit recognize the values of Zappos’ culture.

Despite the fact that the world is becoming more technologically dependent, Zappos doesn’t let it affect their ability to engage in human moments. Engaging in the openness of the human moments and constant social interactions allow the employees at Zappos to excel at their work. With work satisfaction, it is no wonder that the company is still growing very quickly. 
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