Leading Change Company Analysis

Amazon.com is a leading business to consumer internet retailer, selling everything from books to toasters to bicycles. Amazon was founded in 1995 by Jeff Bezos. Bezos was an Vice President for D. B. Shaw, an investment bank, before starting Amazon.com. Bezos realized the power of the internet for commerce, and began by selling books. Bezos chose to startup in Seattle because of the technical talent located there. Over time, Amazon.com moved to selling music, toys, electronics, tools, sporting goods, health and beauty products and even groceries.

When Amazon.com was started, internet retail was in its infant stages. Bezos had the challenge of building a reliable, profitable business that could engage in world-wide commerce, yet still satisfy customers. Amazon.com had to compete with “brick and mortar” businesses as well as other internet retailers such as Barnes and Noble.

Bezos has a customer-centric vision. Amazon.com wants to give customers what they want. This means that Amazon.com asks customers what they want, figuring out how to give it them, then delivering. Amazon offers a diverse product line, low-prices and aims to deliver an enjoyable shopping experience.

Amazon.com constantly communicates with its customers. Customers on its website are constantly asked to rate their products and shopping experience, in order to get feedback on what the customer likes and dislikes (Ratnasingam, P., 2006). Customer Service is critical to Amazon.com’s success. In addition to using artificial intelligence to determine customer wants, Amazon.com still relies on human capital. Bill Price, head of customer service acknowledges that all things can’t be automated. “To do this job right, you need a real passion for the consumer. The best customer service reps are the individuals who have a lot of empathy for frustrated customers,” (Kargar, J., 2003).

Amazon.com has approximately 7,800 employees. Their philosophy is to “work hard, have fun, and make history,” (Kargar, J., 2003). Employees are non-union, and the workplace is casual. Amazon.com encourages its engineers to develop new software and features for its website. Amazon.com lists ownership as one of its values. This empowers employees and instills passion (Amazon.com careers. n.d.

Amazon.com is successful because it values human capital. It knows that its fortune lies with its customers and employees. Amazon has a system to effectively communicate with customers, getting to know their likes and dislikes, thereby building loyalty and ensuring continued business.

British Petroleum (BP) is one of the largest oil companies in the world. British Petroleum was founded in 1909 by George Reynolds, drilling for oil in what is now modern day Iran. Through mergers, BP has since grown to encompass six major brands, all involving the petroleum industry to some degree. BP operates five refineries in the U.S (BP.com, 2008).

March 23, 2005, the BP refinery in Texas City, Texas, suffered a massive explosion, killing 14 people and injuring more than 170. This is one of the worst workplace disasters to occur in the United