The Dayton Company opened a single branch called Target in 1962. The flagship store's mission was "to take the best-quality merchandise of a high-end department store's 'bargain basement' and sell it in a standalone shop," (Schlosser, 2004). Right from the start, Target branded itself as a cut above other discount retailers and set their prices accordingly. Within eight years, the company was able to open 17 stores totaling $200 in sales (Scholsser, 2004). Target could not have been so successful even in its early years without establishing a strong company culture. That company culture continued to define Target's identity as being essentially distinct from that of Wal*Mart or K-Mart. The story of Target's beginning and evolution as a retailer is one of the key ways the organizational culture is perpetuated and new employees socialized.

Rituals are another way that organizational culture is sustained. At Target, there are rituals that introduce...
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