Upon completion of this case you should be able to answer the following:

  • What kinds of policies does Zappos employ to keep their employees loyal?
  • What did Zappos do to get employee buy-in to a new organizational structure?
  • What is holocracy and how is Zappos embracing it as a management principle?
  • What are the arguments for why organizations do need power structures?
  • Do you think you would enjoy working under the principles of holocracy? Why or why not?

Case Materials

Holacracy: A Radical New Approach to Management | TEDxGrandRapids (July 2, 2015)

How Zappos will run with no job titles | CNN Business (Feb 17, 2014)

Reading: Is Holacracy Succeeding At Zappos? | Forbes (May 23, 2015)
Reading: Why Are So Many Zappos Employees Leaving? | The Atlantic (Jan 15, 2016)

 

Zappos is a weird company — and it’s happy that way | PBS News Hour (Mar 2, 2017)