Company Background
Amazon.com, Inc. is an American-based multinational technology organization. Primarily, it deals in artificial intelligence, online advertising, e-commerce, digital streaming, and cloud computing (Mohamad Halim, 2022). The company began as a bookstore, but over time, it expanded to include music, videos, electronics, games, and software.
The company has evolved into a well-established distributor, driven by aggressive technological innovations. It offers subsidiaries such as Audible, Whole food market, Ring, Amazon Web Services, Goodreads, and Twitch (Mohamad Halim, 2022). Other operations executed by Amazon.com Inc. include logistics and supply chain management. Amazon has a well-served human resources department and a diverse workforce.
Employee Benefits and Compensation
Amazon.com Inc. has been ranked as one of the top payers in the job market. It is approximated that each employee earns about $19 per hour (Mohamad Halim, 2022). This pay rate is twice the federal minimum wage paid to the government workforce.
Amazon.com further offers benefits and welfare services to its employees and all their eligible partners, family members, and children. As such, they include comprehensive healthcare coverage for medical, dental, and vision checkups (Mohamad Halim, 2022). The company’s medical staff handles their work either in person or virtually in all 50 states of America. Amazon.com also offers compensatory services to any workforce member injured while on duty. The scheme covered all medical expenses and the lost earnings when one is permanently or temporarily out of work.
Amazon allows each member to take paid parental leave to support their family’s growth and development. This period is guaranteed to all expectant mothers, up to 20 weeks post-delivery, and six weeks for those adopting a child (Mohamad Halim, 2022). Further, through their Ramp Back initiative, birth parents are offered eight weeks of partial and flexible work schedules (Mohamad Halim, 2022). Each frontline employee of Amazon.com, especially those residing in the United States of America, receives scholarships for their children covering college tuition and all learning resources.
Business Leadership and Strategy
Amazon.com Inc. is a rapidly growing company, and therefore, it needs skilled leadership. Jeff Bezos is a transformational manager dedicated to ensuring prosperity. The leadership style used can be classified as pragmatic (Parbat et al., 2022). Its management sets high-level standards that are expected to be met by all available means by the executive members and the workforce.
Everyone in the firm is held responsible for all their actions and the impact they have on the business. The contingency leadership theory can be used to analyze the corporation’s control. According to this model, the leadership style depends on how well it aligns with the situation.
Customer centricity is one key strategy employed by the company in its operations. Jeff Bezos formulated this blueprint to guide and grow his business. This plan is based on four major principles: long-term thinking, a commitment to excellence, a customer obsession rather than competition, and a passion for invention (Parbat et al., 2022). Through these guidelines, the company advances by regularly entering new segments of service production. The company is also continually strengthening its ecosystem to enable customers to purchase additional services, including those from merchants, publishers, analysts, and writers.
Amazon.com has been noted to be on the frontline in ensuring diversity and global inclusion. The company strives to serve everyone, regardless of gender, culture, race, age, or sexual orientation. For instance, the technology used by the organization has facilitated global access for all large-scale and small entrepreneurs, content creators, and builders from around the world (Mohamad Halim, 2022). Over time, the company has also embraced the aspect of gender balance. This can be evidenced by the increasing number of women employed in tech roles.
Employee Relations
Employee relations are vital to a company and significantly contribute to business success. Amazon.com has up to 1.6 million employees worldwide, offering a range of services (Mohamad Halim, 2022). Such a vast company needs a well-established engagement and feedback mechanism.
Amazon.com Inc. has adopted an open-door policy to foster candid communication (Mohamad Halim, 2022). This system fosters a respectful environment where everyone can express their concerns, suggestions, and feedback to management and the leadership team. The company has an associate roundtable meeting where anyone can ask questions. This time is also scheduled for employees to improve their relationships with one another and share ideas that can be used to enhance the business as a whole.
Workplace employees also have elected representatives who attend the Associate forums in Europe and Africa. This provides them with the opportunity to participate in consultations and contribute to decision-making (Mohamad Halim, 2022). Additionally, Amazon.com respects employees’ freedom and rights to join or form unions. Members can be part of any lawful organization without harassment or reprisal.
Ethics and Social Responsibility
Ethics form the basis of a moral code for conducting business and generating profit without causing harm. Amazon.com, like any other, should uphold ethical standards and protect humanity. Though the company has made significant progress, there are still existing gaps. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, the corporation was sued for alleged discrimination and civil rights violations.
Chris Small is one of the complaints fired for organizing a protest following the company’s response to COVID-19 (Jamali, 2022). Further, they terminated more employees who raised concerns about the working conditions. On climate and environmental protection, Amazon.com has been criticized by environmentalists.
In recent years, Amazon’s CO2 emissions have exceeded those of other companies, such as FedEx (Jamali, 2022). However, the company has strived to promote social responsibility. This has been achieved through the Amazon Corporate Social Responsibility Policy, which addresses concerns about environmental sustainability, employee rights, supply chain transparency, and community service (Mohamad Halim, 2022). The organization has made efforts to adopt a business model that is socially accepted and has no adverse environmental impact.
Organization and Employee Development
Amazon.com has endeavored to organize the company and employee development properly. This initiative aims to equip the company with a skilled and up-to-date workforce. For instance, through the Amazon Technical Academy, senior software engineers offer a program that trains junior employees on essential skills (Williamson et al., 2022).
Furthermore, they are enrolled in apprenticeships for paid training in machinery operations and repair. The organization enables its members to advance their careers and empowers them to pursue their aspirations. These incentives have been implemented to ensure that the corporation continues to grow in the current world, driven by progressive technological advancements.
Talent Development
Talent development is of paramount salience in career development and expansion. Amazon.com has taken on the role of identifying and nurturing young talent. This has been achieved through holistic strategies that promote K-12 and higher education (Williamson et al., 2022). Such programs aim to recruit from diverse institutions, including colleges that serve Black and Hispanic students. The corporation also aims to provide education in STEM subjects, encompassing science, mathematics, engineering, and technology (Williamson et al., 2022). To locate and mentor such students, Amazon.com has partnered with other organizations and learning facilities that have access to underrepresented communities.
Technology
Amazon.com operates in a highly competitive market, one that is significantly influenced by technological advancements. The company has been at the forefront of technological advancements, including cloud computing, video streaming, e-readers, and online shopping. Four unique technologies are utilized by Amazon, including the Dash Button, which is used by Prime members (Parbat et al., 2022). Amazon’s new technology enables users to place orders from its fresh produce inventory, which can be delivered within two hours.
Amazon Prime Air is a strategy currently under implementation, in which the company aims to use aerial vehicles to deliver all orders within a 30-minute schedule (Parbat et al., 2022). Although it remains controversial, Amazon.com remains hopeful that it will successfully implement the plan. The Amazon Fire TV is an introduction that seeks to isolate it from its competitors, such as Apple TV. Similarly, they introduced a Fire phone that helped customers access shopping services through an installed app.
Best Practices
Amazon.com is an excellent company that other organizations can emulate. The organization has demonstrated competence in human resources management and the effective handling of employees. Programs such as parental leave, high wages, and health coverage promote the workforce (Mohamad Halim, 2022).
Amazon.com is a customer-oriented corporation that prioritizes satisfaction over profit. This is a good act that promotes client safety and minimizes exploitation. Talent identification and development are recommended traits in society. It serves as a source of empowerment for marginalized, talented members of the community.
References
Jamali, A. F. (2022). Strategic management of the amazon company during the covid-19th pandemic period. In Archive of Conferences (pp. 170-176).
Mohamad Halim, S. K. (2022). Amazon. Com, Inc.
Parbat, T. T., Jain, H., Benhal, R., & Karad, V. (2022). Analytical Success Study to Identify the Amazon’s Managing Capability. ECS Transactions, 107(1), 17923.
Williamson, B., Gulson, K. N., Perrotta, C., & Witzenberger, K. (2022). Amazon and the new global connective architectures of education governance. Harvard Educational Review, 92(2), 231-256. Web.