Please respond to each of these students’ initial posts.
Nastassia: The company that I decided to research is REI, or known as Recreational Equipment, Inc. This outdoor clothing and gear company is owned by its active members, who pay a membership fee to be able to vote for the members of the company’s board of directors and with that receive a dividend on their purchases (REI.com, nd). They are recognized within the outdoor product community as a company that respects the outdoors and are true stewards of nature and give back to earth and the people who enjoy and respect it. Even though this company is not considered small in a volume level, when I worked for the company at their headquarters, all employees shared the same moral compass which made working there feel like a small mom and pop. Management had a clear strategic position that brought value to the customer through its variety of goods, low prices, and authentic customer service (Rothaermel, 2020). The company was able to exercise good strategy by delivering value to society and its environment, which is something that not every company considers (Rothaermel, 2020). Additionally, REI has been able to sustain and gain competitive advantage through this strategy because their customer base fully supports its mission statement, vision, and values. The success of the brand lies on the shoulders of the customers who provide absolute loyalty to the brand and its products that could last a long as a customer’s lifetime.
REI’s vision, which is described as what a company wants to be and what it wants to accomplish, outlines that its goal is to “Awaken a lifelong love of the outdoors for all, and to inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of door adventure and stewardship” (REI.com, nd). Its mission statement, which is described as what a company does, and its plan on how to accomplish its vision, details that it “Brings customers top-quality gear and apparel, expert advice, and rental equipment, to inspire stories of life outside that one can enjoy with friends and family (REI.com, nd). The values of REI, I believe are its biggest positive impact on customer awareness, and it fuels the customer appreciation and loyalty towards the brand. The company has been able to provide solutions to customer needs while addressing the importance of CSR that organizations are obligated to acknowledge and implement. For example, REI’s organizational core values circle around ‘purpose before profit’ and emphasize the importance of ‘long term interests of their members and community’ (REI.com, nd). The company culture of REI can be seen through its philanthropic endeavors, along with the organizations strong push to being ethnically and socially conscious by participating in a circular economy. REI participates in grassroots advocacy, which brings in the whole REI community on board to combat pressing matters such as climate change, equity, and inclusivity (REI.com, nd).
The aspiration of REI can be clearly experienced when you walk into a store and receive help from staff. The ‘effectiveness of the vision pervades’ the store and employees are motivated to help, be a part of something bigger and to ‘make the world a better place through their work activities’ (Rothaermel, 2020). Companies such as REI, and Patagonia have zeroed in on the strategic intent that uses its vision statement as its foundation, and it is apparent through the company culture that there is a holistic unification throughout all stakeholders.
Devin: For this week’s discussion, I chose to use two healthcare companies that are prominent in the southern California area: Kaiser Permanente and Dignity Health. Kaiser Permanente is a health care service provider and nonprofit healthcare plan. Kaiser provides service for over 12 million members over 8 states within the United States and provides employment for over 300,000 employees. Dignity Health is a not-for-profit health care system and service provider that provides services for about 20 million patients in over 21 states providing employment for over 60,000 employees. This company mostly operates hospitals and ancillary healthcare facilities in California, Nevada, and Arizona.
Kaiser Permanente’s mission is to “provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities they service” (Kaiser Permanente, 2022). The company’s vision is to “be a leader in total health by making lives better.” Dignity Health’s mission is to “improve the health of the people we serve, especially those who are vulnerable, while we advance social justice for all.” The company envisions a “healthier future for all, inspired by faith, driven by innovation and powered by our humanity” (Dignity Health, n.d.) Dignity Health mission is similar to Kaiser Permanente’s mission and values as they both have the goal of providing quality care and improving patient health. Though they seem similar, both have a different vision in the firm’s strategy.
Kaiser Permanente vision seem more customer-oriented than Dignity Health as the focus of Kaiser is on affordable care and improving community health. By Kaiser being more customer-driven, the company can provide solutions to high-cost health expenses and unaffordable health care plans experienced by customers to ensure a healthier community. From Dignity Health’s vision, the company seems more product-oriented. Though both companies are concern the welfare of its employees and patients, Dignity Health statement focuses on improving health services provided through innovation, faith, and compassion. In the economic environment that exists, I would redirect the mission and vision toward affordability and accessibility to improve the quality of care and overall health of patients.
