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Conscious Capitalism: John Mackey's 'Whole Foods'

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Conscious Capitalism: John Mackey's 'Whole Foods'
GEL Individual Assignment 2/Jan 13/2
Maria Jimena Vargas | Student ID 9048985 |

Part 1 – Blog
Conscious Capitalism - The "not-so-secret" sauce of Whole Foods™

The last book of co-CEO Whole Foods Market™ (WFM), John Mackey questions what the main purpose of corporations is. The great financial results of WFM™ in 2012 generated + 1 Billion in EBITDA, 25 new stores opened and a strong position as the America’s healthiest grocery store indicates the strategy and philosophy of Mr. Mackey ' s view of corporations in society is contributing to the organizational success of the 30-years old company.1 (Whole Foods, 2012)
A Better Capitalism - The idea of corporations ' s purpose making not only money is an idea to enlighten capitalism 's
…show more content…
John Mackey co-Founder and Co-CEO of the 500 Fortune Company with headquarters in Austin, Texas is a controversial business leader. He is vegan since early 1970 's and a dedicated activist of health issues like lowing sugar levels in the American Diet. It is especially important that the CEO and other senior leadership embody the higher purpose of the organization rather than seek to maximize their own personal power and compensation (Mackey 2012). …show more content…
Although John Mackey frequently gets the attention of headlines, the company has a solid senior team. In 2010 Walter Robb was appointed as co-CEO. This emphasized the power of shared decision-making and the importance of collective construction within all levels of the company. Mackey and Robb are not part of the CEO’s celebrity culture widely spread in America. On the contrary they envision the role of the E-suite to embrace the higher purpose of the business, lead by example, inspire and transform while still satisfying all the stakeholder needs. The shared leadership approach practiced by Whole Foods Market™ is aligned to the premise that such “hero” styles alienate the workforce through failing to provide a genuine sense of involvement in, and commitment to, corporate goals. (Manz & Sims 1987) 8

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