Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62203
a business education. It seems to me that students today have more opportunities than ever to gain real-world experience through internships and projects. have always looked to the long term. All businesses experi- ence ups and downs, but the organization that focuses on the long-term and not on temporary setbacks will be more suc- cessful in the end. You also have to work hard. Success does not come overnight, and it doesn't matter how smart or tal- ented you are if you are not willing to put in the work for future success. Next, you need to keep yourself educated—about your made against us were unjustified, and we hope to be able to prove that point through the appeals process. We did not make the decision to go forward with this case market, your competition, and your own capabilities. You need to surround yourself with good people. Over the years I've been fortunate to work with extremely talented, dedicated people, and they all have influenced our company's success and made me a better leader. Finally, you have to live your values, be passionate about what you do, and truly enjoy your work. You speak about living your values. What strategies does Enterprise implement within the company to promote an ethical atmosphere? My father founded our company with a simple mission: Put customers and employees first, and business success will nat- urally follow. He never wanted our company to be the biggest company, just to be the best. Part of what drove him was the desire simply to do the right thing. We strive to follow his lead today, to do everything we can to maintain his values, regard- less of how big our company becomes. In fact, we formalized his philosophy this year into our Enterprise "Founding Values." They are: ■ Our brand is the most valuable thing we own. ■ Personal honesty and integrity are the foundations of our success. ■ Customer service is our way of life. ■ Enterprise is a fun and friendly place, where teamwork rules. ■ We work hard…and reward hard work. ■ Great things happen when we listen … to our customers and to each other. ■ We strengthen our communities, one neighborhood at a time. ■ Our doors are open. We communicate these values to every employee—and lightly. In fact, we could have settled the matter out of court, but we firmly believed the evidence in the case supported our opinion that the employee's career at Enterprise ended for valid reasons. We also believe that when someone questions the good name and reputation of Enterprise, its owners, and many of our employees, that we have a responsibility to chal- lenge those accusations and defend ourselves. What specific values/ethics can business schools teach, or is it too late to teach values to students once they're old enough to enroll in business school? I do believe that business schools can teach students about strong values that are important in the business world and that it is necessary to do so, now more than ever. We've seen too many examples of what happens when organizations do not live their values. We need to teach our future business leaders early on that success and ethical behaviors are not mutually exclusive. One of the most important lessons for students to learn is the value of an organization's people—be they customers, employees, or shareholders. Every business owes its success to its customers and employees, and this is a fact that all business leaders—and all future business leaders— need to remember. every potential employee—and reinforce the message that there is no room at Enterprise for anything less than full adoption of all our values. An employee recently won a $4 million lawsuit against Enterprise, claiming he was fired for exposing illegal practices. How have you responded to this lawsuit? We are disappointed with the verdict and fully disagree with the decision. Our opinion continues to be that the allegations In the current economic recession, many companies are eliminating hundreds and thousands of positions to cut costs. I understand that Enterprise has never had a major layoff in its history. With more than 50,000 current employees, what strategies have made that possible? It is true that we have never had a layoff at Enterprise, which makes us feel very fortunate. We've maintained the same busi- ness model for 45 years and stayed true to our core business, which is a focus on home city rentals. While we've expanded into other segments, it is knowledge of our core business that has sustained our company in trying economic times. And, as a family-run, privately held company, we have the benefit of being able always to look to the long-term, which helps us maintain our business success when times are tough. The fact that we put our people first is also a factor. We know that if we provide exceptional customer satisfaction, our customers will come back. If we listen to our employees and provide them with opportunities to grow, they will deliver the caliber of service that is so important to our business. This is the principle that pervades and drives our business. BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2003 19