Mary Kay
Provide a written critique of the article and how it applies to corporate culture in firms
On the surface, it might seem that Mary Kay's corporate ethos belongs to another time and place in American business history, as the founder trumpets the value of putting "God first, family second, and career third." But the article "Mary Kay's Lessons in Leadership" astutely points out that contrary to the manufactured public image of its ultra-feminine founder, many members of the sales staff are professional women. Two-thirds have full-time jobs in addition to selling Mary Kay cosmetics, and several of the company's trusted sales staff work as lawyers. Furthermore, like many sales-driven companies, beneath its veneer of pink Cadillacs and kisses, the company has what management theorist Jeffrey Sonnefield calls a "baseball team culture" where employees are free or contract agent with highly prized sales skills. "They are in high demand and can rather easily get jobs elsewhere. This type of culture exists in fast-paced, high-risk organizations, such as investment banking, advertising, etc." And sales is one example of this type of professional culture, regardless of what product is being sold (McCarter, 1999). The personal image of Mary Kay may generate some loyalty in the hearts of her sales staff, because of her charismatic figure and rags-to-riches success story, but ultimately saleswomen are there to make extra income, to win bonuses, and they compete against one another for incentives.
In short, the article makes an astute point -- when assessing organizational culture, do not confuse the image the corporation presents to the public with the actual employee culture behind closed doors. An apparently pro-working class company like Wal-Mart may depend upon a low-wage staff to provide its perpetually low prices, and cosmetic sales are still a 'selling' profession. Mary Kay's success is based upon her saleswomen showing drive and taking the initiative, not upon the power of her eyeliner.
Works Cited
McNamara, Carter. (1997). "Organizational Culture." Management Help. Retrieved 5 Aug 2007 at http://www.managementhelp.org/org_thry/culture/culture.htm
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