The rise of globalization has led to increased competition. Consequently, there has been increased pressure on firms to innovate continuously. This is in a bid to remain competitive but also to retain the best talent. The central role that people or groups play in promoting organizational success cannot be overstated (Losh, 2011). Due to the recognition of this, a list of exceptional companies has emerged. The Fortune magazine annually ranks some of th ese prominent firms in the United States (U.S) . According to the 2016 rankings , T he Container Store, Camden Property Trust, and the Wegmans Food Markets are among st the 100 best companies to work for (Fortune, 2016). This essay, therefore, seeks to explore the three companies in a bid to establish the description of their work environments and identify the elements that seem to foster employee motivation as well as group cohesion amongst their employees.
Based in the U.S, T he Container Store is a retail chain company whose focus storage and organization solutions (Fortune, 2016). In a bid to foster a conducive working environment, the company has set aside a fund that is meant to provide its employees with grants for unpredictable circumstances. The c ompany also appreciates the hard-working and dedicated employees by awarding them with tenure awards. Moreover, it treat s its employees to vacations, flight tickets and commemorative fossil watch according to the number of years spent in the company. For instance, the e mployees who have stayed with the company for more than twenty-five years are given lifetime employee discount and extra funds. During holidays such as the Valentine’s Day, employees are given gifts and love notes as a way of appreciating their hard work. Other benefits awarded to the e mployees’ include the maternity and paternity leaves, health insurance, paid communication time, and training programs .
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Camden Property Trust is a real estate investment trust based in Houston, Texas. The firm operates and owns apartments in the U.S (Fortune, 2016). The company runs numerous programs to build the interest of existing and potential employees. Firstly , it offers fully furnished vacation suites to its employees. Likewise, it gives scholarships to the employee's children . Eligibility is based on work experience, leadership roles, community service and the extracurricular activities. The company also offers educational assistance in setting funds aside annually to support the t eam members ’ education. Employees in Camden Property Trust also enjoy such benefits as virtual medical visits and discount ed Microsoft programs, and fitness services. Thus, the company fosters its employees’ health and professional advancement.
Wegmans Food Markets is a private supermarket chain based in New York . The company mainly helps people to live healthier lifestyles through the food it offers. The company also provides a series of u nique programs t o attract and retain talented employees . These programs are geared towards creating a favorable working environment for the employees. Firstly , the company has flexible schedules to accommodate changes such as personal obligations and caring for sick family members (Fortune, 2016) . The company also offers scholarship programs and care programs to their employees. The Wegmans employees also have access to discount and digital coupons to many community movies , car wash facilities, gy ms among other services. The employees also receive financial assistance when in need.
The strategies employed by the three companies particularly regarding enhancing employee’s cohesion and motivation are in line with the ideals advanced by Losh (2011). The se companies put their employees at the center of their operations. This is by taking care of their welfare with such benefits as finances, motivation, and favorable working conditions . In return, the employees reciprocate this by giving their best to the compan ies . This phenomenon is in line with George Homans’ social exchange theory. The success of organizations is highly depend ent on how motivated and cohesive their employees a re (Losh, 2011, Pillai & Williams, 2004). Therefore, employers should be aware of such issues as stress in the workplace and look for ways of addressing them . Also , managers are encouraged to be familiar with the ir workers and their backgrounds, what the employees prefer to do for fun, and where they would prefer to go for vacations (Losh 2011) . This information is important when devising worker-friendly programs to foster a favourable working environment. These strategies advance a shared identity, increased cohesion and employee satisfaction leading to enhanced performance (Losh 2011). Therefore, they have raised not only the rankings of T he Container Store, Camden Property Trust, and Wegmans Food Markets , but also their overall performance.
References
Fortune (2016). 100 Best Companies to Work For. Fortune.com . Retrieved from http://fortune.com/best-companies/
Losh, S. (2011). Group behavior in organizations. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc
Pillai, R., & Williams, E. A. (2004). Transformational leadership, self-efficacy, group cohesiveness, commitment, and performance. Journal of organizational change management , 17 (2), 144-159.
