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  • June 2021
  • Teaching Note
  • HBS Case Collection

Amazon: Cult or Culture?

By: Boris Groysberg, Kerry Herman and Amy Klopfenstein
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:18
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Abstract

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 421-008. Amazon was one of the first entrants in e-commerce. Under the leadership of founder Jeff Bezos, Amazon had expanded beyond books to manufacturing and selling a wide range of products and services globally. Bezos had built a customer-centric culture that permeated all aspects of the company. As Amazon continued to grow and expand into new business areas, would it be able to maintain its culture and practices? How much of Amazon’s success depended on the cult of Bezos? As the company continued to diversify beyond Bezos’s immediate oversight, what could Amazon do to ensure that it stayed relentless?

Keywords

Leadership; Organizational Culture; Growth Management; Information Technology; Human Resources; Talent and Talent Management; Retail Industry; Technology Industry

Citation

Groysberg, Boris, Kerry Herman, and Amy Klopfenstein. "Amazon: Cult or Culture?" Harvard Business School Teaching Note 421-081, June 2021.
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About The Author

Boris Groysberg

Organizational Behavior
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