https://www.zappos.com

Today, Zappos is owned by Amazon.com who purchased the company for $1.2 billion in 2010. Zappos' CEO Tony Shea remains at the helm of the company, and the culture of the firm remains intact. In short, Amazon.com has allowed Zappos to continue to operate as it had in the past.

The emphasis on customer satisfaction and employee happiness permeates the culture of Zappos. The name Zappos is a derivative of the Spanish word for shoes, "zappatos." Its culture is driven by 10 core values, the first being to "wow" the customer. Two important core values inform the planning, organizing, leading, and controlling function at the firm. They are (1) pursue growth and learning; and (2) have passion and determination. These and the other core values emphasize teams and employee empowerment, so much so that team leaders (management) are required to spend at least 20% of their time off the job with their team members.

Relationship building helps drive a management approach that focuses on the primary goal of the companythat is to provide the best possible experience for the customer. The four functions of management are discussed and members of the Zappos team indicate how these functions are practiced at Zappos.

1. How are a company's core values related to its corporate culture?