Forever 21 Case Study

Exemplifying Marx’s theory of alienation of labor affecting the economy is Forever 21. Forever 21 made Yahoo’s list of the “Top 10 Worst Companies to Work For” in 2015. Of the roughly 2,000 employees who reviewed Forever 21, only 28% said they would recommend working at the company to a friend (Frohlich). Forever 21 is known for not treating their employees well. The corporate culture at Forever 21 is clearly not a positive one, and is hindering the opportunity for growth and productivity of employees. A reviewer says:

“As a sales associate you have a lot of duties but you can bust your behind doing them and STILL get yelled at by managers. They are rude, and inconsiderate. You will be overworked and underpaid. They will try to manipulate you and then push you to quit. The management is terrible, and it makes the job so much more difficult to have” (“Worst job to have”).

This corporate structure does not consider the importance of employee wellbeing, and that could partly be due to the company’s lack

In the company’s “Values Matter” brand campaign launched in 2014, Whole Foods states that, “value is inseparable from values” (‘Values Matter’ Brand Campaign). This quotation is one that embodies all of Bakke’s ideas about ethics in business – they go hand in hand. High quality and valuable brands are developed because of internal values. Consumers recognize the value in buying ethically sourced products at Whole Foods, and they value the overall experience they get when they enter the grocery store from the employees and environment. When the mission and values of the company are connected to and embodied at all levels of the corporate culture, Marx’s alienation of labor theory becomes irrelevant. With $15 billion in sales in the 2015 fiscal year, Whole Foods proves that values should be put first in