Nike , Inc . is an American multinational corporation that is dedicated to the designing , development , manufacturing and selling of athletic footwear , apparel , equipment , accessories and services . It is known as the world ' s biggest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and sponsors high-profile athletes and sports teams around the world . the founders of the company are Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight , their headquarters is currently located in Washington County , Oregon , United States and in 2015 it was recorded that the company has 62,600 employ ees .
An organization ' s culture or a company ' s corporate culture refers to a system of shared beliefs , values , assumptions and behaviours which govern how it ' s employees act and perform their jobs and duties as well as how they interact within the internal environment and the external environment . Nike ' s mission statement is as follows . " To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete * in the world . * If you have a body , you are an athlete ." It may be interpreted that Nike wishes to inspire its workers and consumers to have a winner mindset , coupled with the company ' s slogan " JUST DO IT " as an inspirational goal . The phrase " If you have a body , you are an athlete " also sheds light on the fact that every consumer is targeted by the company and no one is left out , creating a sense of inclusiveness .
The maxims are embedded in the minds of the employees to provide motivation and guidance for the work they do on a day to day basis , the maxims are quoted on a day to day basis . The company is also aware of its history and story and continuously works to keep its employees conscious of it . “ Grounded in the 11 maxims are stories that circle as legends around the company , such as , a Winnebago that was bought on Craig ' s List for $ 750 that is used as their conference room in the middle of the Innovation Kitchen . It ' s a nod to Phil Knight ( Nike ' s founder ) who sold shoes in the back of his RV . The Winnebago is the same year and make model that Nike started selling shoes in the early days . To serve as a reminder of those humble beginnings . The clock inside the Winnebago reads 2:59 all day . It is said , "
That ' s to signify a sub-3 hour marathon ." The waffle iron that co-founder Bill Bowerman destroyed while attempting to make rubber soles is kept on campus like a museum piece .” ( Jackson , n . d .) These legends along with many others that known throughout the Nike campus helps to embed a sense of value , shared culture and history in what the employees are doing . Another factor that contributes to the strong organization culture amongst Nike employees is the emphasis on secrecy and mystery . It is not just about trade secrets , or the irresistible pull for people wanting to be in on the secret but also allowing employees to believe what they are doing is valuable - the secret is in the belief there is something valuable and important to " protect ". They internalize stories of secretive-ness because they are proud to be part of the Nike family . This drives the company ' s continuous innovativeness and creativity .
According to the Nike , Inc . official website , " NIKE , Inc . fosters a culture of invention . We create products , services , and experience for today ' s athlete while solving problems for the next generation ." Through this self-definition and the first maxim of the company being , " It is our nature to innovate " it is clear that Nike ' s organizational culture is centered on creativity and innovation . Three of the main characteristics of the company ' s corporate culture are talented , diverse and inclusive . The feature of talent emphasizes the need to provide human resource support for product development and internal services in the corporation . As such , Nike provides coaching , mentoring and training programs geared towards the sustaining of its employees ' talents necessary for the companies success and to further mold employees into leaders for global growth . It is believed by the company that its diversity enables a dynamic workforce and promotes their creativity , innovation , brand image , competitive advantage and maximizes product development cycles . Its diversity is maintained through HR programs , such as the ‘ Speak Up !' program , which facilitates sharing of ideas among workers .
Inclusiveness is emphasized within the organization as it minimizes barriers to employee performance and enables optimal performance , diversity and talent development . This characteristic is supported by the company through a team-based approach to management . Programs that are put in place in support of inclusiveness are ‘ Bias to Breakthrough ', a program for removing barriers to creativity and ‘ NCourage ', a set of employee networks for cultural awareness and community building . When is comes to Nike ' s organizational structure , the company has a geographical divisional organizational structure . It is divided into three ( 3 ) sections ; Global corporate leadership , semi-autonomous geographic divisions and global divisions for Converse and brand licensing .