The Ethos of Partnership: The John Lewis Partnership

Abstract

The chapter analyses John Lewis Partnership, an employee owned UK company which operates 42 John Lewis department stores across the UK, 328 Waitrose supermarkets, an online and catalogue business, a production unit, and a farm. The company is owned by a trust on behalf of all its 90,000 permanent staff, known as “Partners,” who have a say in the running of the business and receive a share of annual profits, which is usually a significant addition to their salary. Its Constitution states that “the happiness of its members” is the Partnership’s ultimate purpose, recognizing that such happiness depends on having a satisfying job in a successful business. It establishes a system of rights and responsibilities, which places on all Partners the obligation to work for the improvement of the business in the knowledge that they share the rewards of success. The Constitution defines mechanisms to provide for the management of the Partnership, with checks and balances to ensure accountability, transparency, and integrity. It established the representation of the co-owners on the Partnership Board through the election of Partners as Elected Directors.