Running Head:Trader Joe’s Job Satisfaction Case Study
Examining the Emotions, Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction of Trader Joe’s
Running Head: Trader Joe’s Job Satisfaction Case Study
Walking into a Trader Joe’s market is a tropical escape from regular mundane grocery
shopping. The multi-billion dollar supermarket chain has achieved a competitive advantage by
delivering cheap, unique, exotic goodies and has successfully established itself as a reputable and
desirable food boutique filled with culinary delights.
A study of consumers ranked Trader Joe’s as the highest-ranking supermarket in North
America. The study concluded that the chain ranked first on atmosphere and fast checkouts, and
second on cleanliness, courteous staff, merchandise selection and accurate pricing(Anderson,
2013).
Coulombe, Trader Joe’s original founder, said he tried from the start to make Trader Joe's
a place where people would enjoy coming to shop(Palmeri, 2008). Coulombe achieved this by
creating a happy, cheerful oasis that resembles a Hawaiian corner store with Royal Caribbean
cruise terminology.The store employees have fun titles that address their chain of command
structure in nautical terms, such as ‘mates’ for their workers and ‘captains’ for the management
staff (Anderson, 2013). They are able come to work wearing Hawaiian shirts, have the autonomy
to engage customersto discuss their favorite products from the store, and supplytaste-tests at any
given moment.
The wage and benefits package offered at Trader Joe’s is highly competitive, with the
starting salary ranging from $45-$75 thousand per year and managers bringing in six figure
salaries. Trader Joe's business structure encourages its employees to experience different
positions at one time. The corporate philosophy is that happy employees equals happy
customers and happy customers spend more and visit more frequently(Quinton, 2013).
Effective companies understand how planning, organizing, leading, and controlling is
essential to achieving organizational success. Trader Joe’s develops its employees using this
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