Perhaps the most important element of management
practice contributing to Four Seasons' success in
France was management discipline. This took two
forms, both of which can be viewed as contributing to
the enactment of organizational values. First, discipline
can be seen in the way Four Seasons managers
lived the values they espoused: allowing guests to be
seated first in the dining room; treating employees with
dignity; adhering to local labor laws and intemal policies
designed to protect employees. Second, Four Seasons
managers had the discipline to insist that employees
deliver outstanding service to guests. This occurred
through adherence to the core service-culture standards
and 270 operating standards (as occasionally
amended). Meeting these standards has resulted in
customer loyalty. Thus discipline acts as a glue, ensuring
that organizational values actually drive a culture,
which in tum conthhutes to competitive advantage.