Ikea’s ability to maintain its corporate culture has enabled it to avoid some of the missteps made by large retailers that have expanded globally, columnist Richard Milne
wrote in the
Financial Times.
The town of Älmult, where Ikea was founded, is located “in a province known as the Bible belt of Sweden,” and “Ikea has maintained a strong culture rooted in that thrifty and moral background,” Milne wrote. Employees “are recruited heavily on values and beliefs rather than purely skills or experience.”
But prosecutors in France are investigating whether Ikea managers illegally obtained employees’ police records, and “current and former executives question” whether the company can maintain its culture as it continues to expand internationally, Milne noted.
Ikea has begun to develop some products designed for customers in a specific market, and it has scaled back its plans to open 20 to 25 stores a year. That plan, originally announced by Ikea CEO Peter Agnefjäll, was opposed by Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad, who preferred 10 to 12 openings per year, Milne wrote. (Source:
Financial Times,
Nov. 29, 2013.)
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