Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon Getty Images | Mark Ralston | AFP Amazon added two additional “leadership principles” to its roster of over a dozen corporate philosophies aimed to drive employee decisions and goals on Thursday. Many of Amazon’s leadership concepts, such as “Customer Obsession” and “Invent and Simplify,” have been in place since the company’s inception and are at the heart of the company’s corporate culture. The newest additions have a distinctively different tone, embracing the topic of notable criticisms leveled at the organization. “Strive to be Earth’s Best Employer,” for example, encourages CEOs to “work every day to build a safer, more productive, higher performing, more diversified, and more just work environment.” It’s in line with what Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos stated in his final letter to shareholders earlier this year, in which he acknowledged that the company needed to do a better job for its workers. Employees have long complained about Amazon’s hostile workplace atmosphere, with tensions reaching a peak in April after a failed unionization vote at one of the company’s Alabama facilities. “Success and Scale Bring Broad Responsibility,” another addition, emphasizes how Amazon’s status as the world’s largest online retailer and cloud-computing firm comes with new challenges. The new principle reads, “We started in a garage, but we’re not there anymore.” “We’re big, we have a global impact, and we’re far from flawless. Even the unintended consequences of our acts must be considered with humility.” Regulators and lawmakers from all over the world are putting pressure on Amazon to explain if it is unjustly using its size and influence against competitors. Since 2015, when it introduced a 14th concept, “Learn and Be Curious,” Amazon hasn’t updated its list of leadership principles. One of Bezos’ last acts as CEO could be this decision. On July 5, he will formally stand down as CEO, handing over the reins to Andy Jassy, the company’s head of cloud computing. In an email to Amazon employees in February, Bezos said that he will transfer to executive chairman of the board, giving him more time to focus on “new products and early ideas.”/n
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