Curtis Miller
Computer Writing and Literature ENGL 3134
Lydia Carter
12-July-2014
FedEx Recapitulation: Assignment # 4
Assignment 8
FedEx Final Paper
Human Resources Management BMGT 3630
Erica Mckissack, Tyler Meador, Curtis Miller, Vaughn Pickney, Courtney Rouse
May 4, 2014
The Structural Frame
The structure of FedEx is founded on strong direct and precise leadership for the
corporate management team. FedEx leadership provides clear guidance regarding the company’s
goals and expectations of each of its sectors while maintaining clear lines of communication
upward. FedEx expects its employees to communicate clearly with them also and is inclusive.
This remarkable mix of clear leadership and excellent interior lines of communication has made
FedEx one of the most admired companies in the world.
FedEx Final Paper
The founder and owner of Federal Express Corporation, also known as FedEx is
Frederick (Fred) W. Smith. The Structural Frame of FedEx has is exemplified by the innovative
idea that created FedEx in the mid 60’s where you guarantee next day delivery to as broad a
swath of the country as you can reliably serve. Fred Smith experienced tremendous difficulty in
getting time sensitive ideas and important merchandise delivered in less than three days. These
problems motivated Fred to research and resolve the inadequate distribution system. Thus the
idea for Federal Express was born. FedEx was initially an airfreight shipping business that
worked on the model of using the least regulated types of transport which were smaller aircraft
and limited distance truck transport to achieve their envisioned performance goals. Then they
worked within the political system to modify and eliminate the regulations that interfered with
FedEx’s employing larger aircraft and integrating a truck based ground delivery component.
FedEx was able to achieve the desired delivery of packages in one to two days by focusing on
these regulatory modifications that allowed them to implement the changes needed to carry out
those tasks.
The
company
officially
began
operations April 17, 1973. It consisted of 14
small aircrafts from Memphis International
Airport, delivering 186 packages to 25 U.S.
cities from New York to Florida. Within two
years, FedEx became the premier carrier of time sensitive packages in the market place. This set
the standard for the overnight industry.
Since then the company has added international
deliveries and other businesses and companies similar that involve ground and mail express
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FedEx Final Paper
delivery. This all started from one idea or vision and out of the frustration of not being able to
receive and ship time sensitive products that are required to make the business run smoothly.
FedEx maintains clear communications to
and from its many employees by using the company
websites
and
highlighting
the
responses
and
activities of its employees. The FedEx structure
keeps
its
employees
informed
of
company
expectations while actively empowering those
employees to contribute to FedEx Corporations success.
The Human Resources Frame
FedEx has concentrated on the Bolman and Deal Human Resource Frame in the
development of their company. This framework concentrates on the employees, providing them
with support and empowerment. Considering the Human Resource Framework when building
any company will increase morale, and aid in the development of staff to meet the company’s
needs. FedEx adopted the People-Service-Profit (PSP) Philosophy “Take care of our people; they
in turn will deliver impeccable service demanded by our customers, who will reward us with the
profitability necessary to secure our future” (FedEx, 2014). FedEx functions on the belief that
their people are the most important asset to their organization (FedEx, 2014). This embodies the
ideals of the Human Resource Frame, acknowledging that the employees of an organization are a
resource and make the success of the organization possible.
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FedEx Final Paper
FedEx’s business model has carefully
recognized the importance of the employee, and
empowered them to be responsible for the overall
success of the company. FedEx chose to create
employee teams for its work model, an employee team,
according to Snell and Bohlander, structures the work for groups instead of individuals, giving
discretion to the teams in service development (Snell & Bohlander, 2013). In Addition to the
PSP Philosophy, FedEx has implemented a “Promotion from Within” policy. This policy allows
the employee to develop his or her own career path within the company. The Promotion from
Within policy has four main components: 1) Position openings are available to internal
employees before the public, 2) Employees are encouraged to apply and be promoted to
management positions, 3) No employee is forced to make a career change, and 4) Employees are
responsible for the development of their career (FedEx, 2014). FedEx employees are also
empowered to maintain the “Culture of Safety Program”. A company blog has been established
to allow employees to report and discuss occupational hazards.
Bolman and Deal’s Human Resource frame focuses on the people that make the
organization. By supporting and empowering employees, morale can be lifted and the overall
goals of the company can be achieved. This can be accomplished by providing staff
development, as previously discussed, but also by creating an environment that allows
employees to feel good about the work they are doing and the organization that they are doing it
for. By recognizing that employees of their company have feelings and needs, FedEx has
established a safe and enjoyable working environment. Employees are rewarded with great
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FedEx Final Paper
benefits such as paid sabbaticals, fitness centers onsite, options for a compressed workweek,
telecommuting, job-sharing, and profession training (CNN Money, 2013).
FedEx has carefully considered Bolman and Deal’s human resource frame when structure
their company. They have an exceptional focus on their employees, and recognize they are
FedEx’s greatest assets. They have also implemented a number of programs and policies that
empower the employees to participate in the success of the organization. Finally, FedEx’s
responsiveness to their employees needs allowed it to be named to CNN Money’s Top 100
Places to work list. Although all four frames should be considered when designing a company
culture, FedEx has placed tremendous importance on their employees and the human resource
frame.
Political Frame
The political frame looks at an organization from the perspective of how power and
influence are distributed and wielded. The political frame places an emphasis on competition
between a diversity of beliefs and behavior, and a multiplicity of interests, values and skills.
FedEx has shown a mastery of the political frame both in its internal structure and its external
influences.
FedEx is a growing organization that wants more
power and wants to become one of the best shipping
company’s available. Their goal is to expand and reach
out to other countries to maximize their companies’
ability. They are in intense competition with other
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FedEx Final Paper
international shipping companies.
One of FedEx’s main beliefs is the People-First Philosophy. FedEx believes in having a
great relationship with their employee’s. FedEx’s founder and CEO Frederick Smith was
determined to make the employees an important part on the decision making process, he believes
that “when people are placed first they will provide the highest possible service, and profits will
follow". The results from this
belief are what made the
FedEx corporate philosophy.
As the company says
“People-Service-Profit”.
The people priority, FedEx shows the importance of their employee’s satisfaction and
their safety leads them to create an environment where the employees feel secure enough to take
risks and become inspired in pursuing quality, service, and customer satisfaction. Service refers
to the service FedEx gives to their customers. FedEx goal with service is to have 100% customer
satisfaction and reach it 100% of the time. When all of these goals have been met FedEx is
profitable. edEx’s main mission is to produce superior service. They strive to meet the customer
requirements in the highest quality manner appropriate to each market segment served. FedEx
strives to gain mutually rewarding relationships with its suppliers, employees, and partners. But
FedEx‘s main priority is the Safety in all operations.
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FedEx Final Paper
FedEx values go along with their main mission and their beliefs.
Here are some of FedEx’s listed values:
“People: We value our people and promote diversity in our workplace and in our
thinking.”
“Service: Our absolutely, positively spirit puts our customers at the heart of everything
we do.”
“Innovation: We invent and inspire the services and technologies that improve the way
we work and live.”
“Integrity: We manage our
operations, finances and
services with honesty,
efficiency and reliability.”
“Responsibility: We
champion safe and healthy
environments for the
communities in which we
live and work.”
“Loyalty: We earn the respect and confidence of our FedEx people, customers and
investors every day, in everything we do.”
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FedEx Final Paper
“Safety: We operate safely to protect our employees, customers, infrastructure, and
equipment.
The Symbolic Frame
In analyzing FedEx from the perspective of Bolman and Deal's Symbolic Frame, we must
consider both the images that FedEx chooses to present to the world and the way in which they
are interpreted. FedEx is a multi-faceted, complex organization that is unified by one common
symbol: that of the FedEx Arrow. The corporate logo of the name and its integral arrow removes
the ambiguity between the distinct services and products that FedEx provides by drawing
attention to the fact that FedEx is moving forward in various ways: by physically moving
packages, by fulfilling its mantra of being a “Good Corporate Citizen”, and by establishing a
recognizable, positive presence in the communities that the company serves. Further, the FedEx
Arrow and the purple coloration of the “Fed” portion of each distinct division's logo serves as a
common element tying the different holdings of Federal Express Corporation together and
bringing order to chaos. The “Ex” portion of the logo
varies across divisions with orange representing the
Express division and green representing the Ground
division; people can readily interpret and distinguish
between these services at a glance.
Another symbol that serves as an anchor to hope
and faith is the spectacle and theater of FedEx's disaster relief efforts. When massive cargo jets
descends upon a region in need of assistance emblazoned with the symbols of the FedEx logo,
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FedEx Final Paper
the plans of the organization become advertisements, and the meaning and purpose of the
organization are interpreted in a new light of hope. This association with hope and stability
serves to further the culture and mythology of FedEx; this leadership of corporate social
responsibility serves as inspiration. The sheer logistical might displayed in such times by FedEx,
rivaling even that of the U.S. Military, can serve as a framework for myths and stories. The
stories such as Congressmen being given flights to their home states on FedEx planes or
logistical support being delivered in the wake of Hurricane Sandy may alternatively convey the
morals and values of the corporation while also aiming to further its goals.
The mythology of FedEx centers around its focus on employees. The unofficial no-layoff
policy in place at the start of the Great Recession in a business era defined by the opposite
instilled confidence in the culture of the corporation and increased cohesion through stability and
predictability for employees. Yet some of the mythology surrounding the corporation has been
negative or damaging to its image of leadership and to consumer confidence it its direction.
Such myths include that of founder Fred Smith gambling in Las Vegas to keep the company
afloat. In acquiring the Flying Tiger Line in the 1980s, FedEx developed mythology surrounding
consensus in the air freight industry. Though mergers of large competitors can sometimes be
viewed in a negative light, the dominance of FedEx in air freight now serves as mythology of its
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FedEx Final Paper
own. FedEx also uses ceremony to convey its spirit: its major role in national truck driving
competitions provides humor and play to augment the underlying focus on safety and
productivity.
The significance of the symbolism of FedEx lies in the company's ability to act as a
community leader: as the eighth most admired
company in the world, FedEx is known for its
culture, leadership, and corporate social
responsibility. Since organizations are often
judged by outward appearance or symbols,
FedEx has been proactive in planning its culture
and aiming for a positive impact on the world.
Each day, the FedEx logo is seen on more than seven million packages. The ritual of
receiving a FedEx delivery driver at a business or home and accepting a package provides
structure and order to the lives of millions. In interacting with FedEx, individuals and companies
alike have a reasonable expectation of predictability. To borrow from the stories and
advertisements of FedEx: “Relax, its FedEx...The World on Time.” In other words, people can
place trust in the consistent order of the ritual of FedEx that is communicated through its stories
and symbolism. Whenever one sees the symbols of FedEx, there exists a tacit or innate
understanding that the service you receive will be excellent; this is a subtle, yet powerful effect
of the social anthropology that underlies symbolism. For FedEx, this symbolism serves as the
theater or temple that people and companies perceive as a metaphor for the organization's
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FedEx Final Paper
purpose.
Health and Safety
FedEx is committed to employee health and safety. The FedEx Corporation delivers more
than seven million packages every day in 220 different countries, it employs 75,000 truck
drivers, runs one of the world’s largest airplane fleets and has tens of thousands of employees to
manage. Every one of those employees is a valuable asset to a service company like FedEx. The
FedEx Corporation uses multiple avenues to instill a “Culture of Safety” in its workforce.
(FedEx, 1995-2014)
FedEx uses comprehensive workplace education as an integral part of their operations
training program. These training programs go far beyond the requirements of regulatory agencies
in order to assure that FedEx employees are aware of the latest innovations in safety and health
and become immersed in the FedEx “Culture of Safety”. FedEx has a policy of “Best Practices”
in its approach to safety. (FedEx, 1995-2014)
FedEx utilizes repetition and reinforcement by requiring its drivers to attend defensive
driving courses regularly and offers incentives to employees who have exemplary driving
records. FedEx demonstrates to its employees its commitment to safety by spending millions of
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FedEx Final Paper
dollars every year to provide the most advanced safety equipment available and the requisite
training to use the equipment. (FedEx, 1995-2014)
FedEx fosters a sense of achievement to those teams and localities that exhibit high
standards of safety awareness through the Safety Milestone Awards and extends those awards to
include FedEx contractors as well. (FedEx, 1995-2014)
“In the more than 35 years FedEx has operated, dedicated employees have made
significant strides to increase workplace safety. At FedEx Express alone injury and illness rates
have decreased by almost half.” (FedEx, 1995-2014)
The employees of FedEx are actively solicited to provide health and safety suggestions
and ideas. The outreach allows FedEx
employees to be empowered in managing
their health and safety risks. The FedEx
website has as its most pervasive theme
the stories of FedEx employees actively
addressing health and safety issues them
find in their workplaces and at home.
FedEx is often a transporter of hazardous chemicals and has a comprehensive chemical
hygiene program. Using a large library of Material Safety Data Sheets, MSDS, and the newer
Safety Data Sheets, SDS, FedEx is able to provide quick and accurate information regarding any
of the hazards associated with the material being transported or used. FedEx policy is to provide
the latest Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, to its employees and contractors.
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FedEx Final Paper
FedEx is a leader in the area of ergonomics and avoidance of repetitive stress injuries.
This is achieved through education, constant vigilance by safety engineers and employees.
FedEx is willing to spend whatever funds are required to protect FedEx employees and
contractors.
The no layoff policy allows FedEx to have well trained and experienced employees that
are familiar with the hazards of their workplaces and committed to protecting the health and
safety of the other members of their FedEx family. (Mungo, 2009)
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FedEx Final Paper
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