Nordstrom has a strong organizational culture focused on customer service. Their culture is shaped by their values of prioritizing customer experience, their heroes like the Nordstrom family who have run the business for over 100 years emphasizing customer service, and rituals like weekly employee celebrations and contests. Communication reinforces the culture through informal exchanges and an inverted management pyramid that prioritizes customers, empowers employees, and focuses managers on coaching. This strong culture has supported Nordstrom's success over 114 years of operation.

1. NordstromCulture
By Leah Snider

2. Whatisaculture?

3. Organizational culture is a system
of shared assumptions, values,
and beliefs, which governs how
people behave in organizations.
These shared values have a
strong influence on the people in
the organization and dictate how
they dress, act, and perform their
jobs.

4. DealandKennedy’sStrongCulture
1. Values
○ The beliefs and visions that the employees hold for organization
2. Heroes
○ individuals that exemplify organization’s values
3. Rites and Rituals
○ ceremonies through which an organization celebrates its values
4. Communication System
○ through which cultural values are instituted and reinforced

5. Values

6. CustomerExperience
● Nordstrom puts a high value on customer service
● All customers should have a great experience in the
store, online, or on the phone
○ In store, employees call the customer by name and are fully attentive
through check out. Stores have music playing to create ambience.
Visual displays help create a shopping experience for the customer.
○ Nordstrom.com is well put together and easy to navigate
○ All phone calls lead to a real person, not an automated voice

7. heroes

8. NordstromHeroes
● The three brothers Blake, Pete and Erik Nordstrom are
third generation Nordstrom Co-Presidents
● This family run business has been around for 114 years
● Since the beginning of the company, the emphasis has
always been customer service
● They operate 303 full-line stores and 117 rack stores

9. rites

10. RitesandRitualsatNordstrom
● There are many ways in which Nordstrom celebrates its
employees and management
● Saturday mornings before the store opens, management
holds “rallies” to get the employees excited
○ Management celebrates the top selling employees of the week
○ They hold contest for the upcoming week between departments
○ They give awards out to top sellers and make them Nordstrom Allstars
○ Employees have the chance to win a free drink from the Cafe

11. communication
system

12. InvertedPyramidof
Management

13. Communication-InvertedPyramid
● A metaphor for reversal of traditional management
practices
● Put the customer on top of the pyramid, they are the
first priority and most important
● Employee has great power of decision making
● Manager becomes facilitator team effort in departments
● Manager becomes coach and mentor to employees

14. communication
● Communication is informal at Nordstrom
○ Communicate in break rooms, lunch areas, walking around store, text
and email with co-workers
● Employees are encouraged to reach out to all sources for
help and direction
○ Reach out to HR with issues
○ Ask Service Experience for help

15. Questions

16. Questions
1. Nordstrom’s inverted pyramid is unique to their company.
Should more companies take on this approach to
management?
2. Nordstrom puts a big emphasis on their employees and
making them feel special and important. Should more
companies take the time doing this to ensure a long term
employee?

17. WorkCited
Scott, J. (2014, April 14). What Nordstrom Is Doing Right in Customer Service. Retrieved February 05, 2016, from
https://www.beyond.com/articles/what-nordstrom-is-doing-right-in-customer-service-14623-article.html
Adkins, W. (2016). What Is the Importance of the Inverted Pyramid in an Organization? Retrieved February 05, 2016, from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-inverted-pyramid-organization-34447.html
Indvik, L. (2015, May 5). Nordstrom Names Three Brothers Co-Presidents. Retrieved February 07, 2016, from
http://fashionista.com/2015/05/nordstrom-brothers-co-presidents