The Soul of Dell

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It can be argued that a corporate philosophy, value or mission statement can aid in a company’s ability to distinguish itself and standout against competitors. In addition, statements such as these can prove to be an effective medium in the improvement of employee performance and behavior (Seong, 2011). In the early 2000’s as Dell experienced a drop in market share, CEO Michael Dell turned to The Soul of Dell as a way to mend the corporation’s culture and recapture a stronghold on the industry. Dell’s philosophy statement was created in hopes that it would transform the existing incentive-oriented culture to one which adhered to the newly established key standards and principles of the company. Unfortunately, as Dell would find, the company’s vision for improvement failed to make an impression on employees.

Establishing Standards

The intention of The Soul of Dell was to provide employees with a road map from which to operate from. Acting as a guide, the philosophy statement assists employees in understanding how their behavior contributes to the success of the company. Furthermore, a sound statement serves as the backbone for the overall operation of and organization and provides employees and management alike with the direction needed to fulfill company goals. While this was the purpose of The Soul of Dell, upper management discovered the statement failed to reach and resonate with employees. Unknowingly, it was those who created The Soul of Dell that inadvertently contributed to the disconnect when they failed to consider views and opinions of the components connected to the company. To compensate, upper management should look to individuals throughout the organization who can serve as a resource to identify existing strengt...

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...e to follow. Additionally, clear, concise and effective communication is needed to effectively implement any new concept. Sufficient time should be taken to fully understand the best method for reaching an audience. By disregarding this step, it is likely the message will only fall on deaf ears.

Works Cited

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Holem, C. (2008). Business ethics - Part one: Does it matter? Industrial and

Commercial Training, 40(5), 248-252.

Laman, S. (2011). A tool for anyone. Quality Progress, 44(5), 72.

Seong, J. (2011). The effects of high performance work systems, entrepreneurship

and organizational culture on organizational performance. Seoul Journal of Business, 17(1), 3-36.

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