Patagonia

Introduction
This purpose of this paper is to determine from the case study called a passion for the Planet, about the company Patagonia what organisational behaviour theories the Patagonia Company are using and how effective they are. This paper will discuss and detail the theories of reinforcement, equity and social capital, while also discussing Mc Gregors theory and Herzberg’s theories of motivation and Hygienes. This discussion will also try to determine if what Patagonia is doing is actually working, and if other companies could learn from Patagonia on how to effectively put into place a structure to make their working environment more effective. The findings of this paper will be backed up by references from the case study, books, and websites.

Patagonia is a company with an organisational culture that strongly encourages social and environmental responsibility. It stresses the significance of people pursuing their individual passions. Patagonia capitalises on its unique business strategy of letting its employees pursue their different interests and lifestyles to enhance life experiences and to make work more fun. According to Pierce, Gardner & Dunham (2002 p 43)   ‘Environmental consciousness and activism pervades the company’s culture but transcends the impact of materials and processes used in product manufacturing’. In business today one must be highly competitive and by having highly motivated employees it can provide the competitive edge against ones rivals. Reinforcement theory of motivation according to Malott, Trojan (2008) is based on the idea that human behaviour can be shaped through a system of reward focused on reinforcing desirable behaviour.
Until now, there have been two key approaches to keeping employees at the top of their game. At the high-stress workplace, bosses rule by fear, kicking ass and taking names. At feel-good places, managers try to motivate employees with kind words and generous benefits. According to Koontz, Weihrich...