HOLACRACY AND THE ZAPPOS INC. BUSINESS MODEL

Brenden Rush
Rel 342 Excursus
February 23, 2016

HOLACRACY AND THE ZAPPOS INC. BUSINESS MODEL

Every business uses a model. Some have a loose business model where everyone kind of goes with the flow while others are more regimented. Some copy business models from competitors and some are innovators, developing their own business model from the ground up. There is no wrong or right way to run a business. Whatever works for the organization, its employees, customers, owners and stake holders is the business model a company should employ. However, there are some business models that are so unique and different to the landscape that they deserve an in depth look. E-commerce has become such a huge piece of the life we live today in the 21st century. From Google to Amazon, Wayfair to Overstock, buying and selling on the internet has become as much of our shopping experience as walking the local shopping mall or more. Even the traditional brick and mortar stores from Wal-Mart to JcPenney have renewed their focus to the selling of merchandise online. Though online retail has taken its place in our culture as much as physical store fronts, it still presents the same challenges that traditional retail stores have faced for the last 100-plus years. How do you guarantee the best customer service experience for your customers? How do you ensure employee happiness is at its most optimal level throughout the company? How do you retain market share, while optimizing stakeholder value and customer satisfaction? Most retail companies, online or not, face these issues when building a successful organization. Companies are constantly searching for the right formula for their business to correctly answer all of these questions. One online retailer has taken an innovative approach to the many financial and ethical obstacles facing many