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Cassandra Vincent

Professor Hawkins

ENC 2135- 0009

19 October 2017

Research Paper- A Career in Publix

In todays world, more people are going to school for degrees than ever before. Some

occupations require you have a degree for certain positions, while other careers do not. As a

current Publix employee, I was interested to see how having a college degree would assist in

moving through managerial and corporate positions. I am interested in moving through

management of single departments, to earning a corporate position as a Retail Improvement

Specialist (RIS), which to sum it up, puts me in charge of making sure the Customer Service

Departments of a range of stores within a division are up to par, and make sure they are

performing up to Publixs standards, and if not, figure out why. There are becoming more and

more careers that do not require degrees for management positions, but there are also more

positions that do. Publix is a large corporation with a large range of positions, from warehouse

managers to cashiers, and everything in between. Some positions require you to be an expert in

a certain field in order to obtain a job, and having a degree in a certain field will help get you

there a lot quicker. However, other jobs within the company require nothing but a high school

diploma and a positive attitude.

According to the Census Bureau, those with a high school diploma make almost $1

million less over their working adult life than those with a bachelors degree (Porter 2). That

being said, it raises the question of how that effects a Publix employee. About 80 percent of
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students choose to go to a 4-year school upon completing high school, at about $8,000 for

tuition (Porter 2). Lucky for those working for Publix, the company offers a tuition-

reimbursement program for those going to school to continue with the company. (Publix

Supermarkets Inc.) They also offer internships and career events to help their employees be the

best versions of themselves- for their company (Publix). One would think, Publix probably

wouldnt offer so many resources to help their associates succeed in college if they didnt want

employees with higher education backgrounds. This is true. Though a degree may not be

required for some positions, a degree is never a bad thing to have. Publix encourages their

employees to get a degree in a field that would help them move up in the company. Their

reimbursement program is for select list of majors, but it gives you the option to submit a

different major to get approved for the program. The company has no problem reimbursing its

associates their tuition costs, as long as it is a benefit to them.

Patti Breckenridge, head of the talent acquisition team for Publix, said in a blog titled

The value of a college degree, posted to Publix Jobs Blog, that the necessity of having a degree

depends on your position. There are entry level jobs that require no higher educations, and

there are higher level jobs that could require a PhD. However, managerial and corporate

positions specifically do not require a degree, but having one is extremely helpful in moving up

the corporate ladder. Breckenridge also mentioned that the unemployment rate was about 4%

less for those with bachelors degrees than those with only high school diplomas, which is quite

a difference (Breckenridge). The cost of going to a 4-year university is at an all-time high right

now, so it is up to the individual to make a decision based on his or her current situation. If

pursuing higher education will really benefit them in their desired position with the company,
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they must decide if it is possible for them to go to school, and if not, how can they get there.

While having a bachelors degree or higher could benefit someone trying to move quickly

through management, it is not required by the company to have in such positions. Some

positions however, like those in the information technology department, do require a higher-

level degree like a bachelors.

Perhaps it is unclear why someone would pursue a college degree just to work for

Publix, especially if there is no need for it in their desired position. Publix is the largest

employee owned company in the nation. Employee owned meaning that every share of stock is

privately owned by the associates, no outsiders. This raises incentive for employees to want to

do their best, because if sales drop, its only themselves they are hurting. Christopher Tkaczyk, a

writer for Fortune, went to work for Publix for 5 days and wrote about his experiences. He said

that upon being hired at the store, employees get a 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day check in

evaluation and are provided with feedback on their performance. This helps make sure all

associates are on the same page and everyone is working as efficiently as possible. And to tie

this back in with having a degree, Publix embraces their promote-from-within culture, and

avoids having to hire people for higher positions if it is possible for them to promote an existing

employee (Tkaczyk). To gauge what skill level the company is working with upon hiring an

associate, the new hire participates in a short test about their basic skills and knowledge (Hinkin

and Tracey 165). Being that Publix has over 100,000 employees, without a degree it is hard to

know which ones are qualified for which tasks. In 2016, Publix was ranked as one of Fortunes

100 best places to work (Mujtaba 49). The company offers many different incentives to their
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employees, which could be why they have been rated Americas #1 grocery store the last 3

years.

Given that a degree is not required for most positions in Publix, it is however extremely

helpful. To put that in perspective, 85.9% of CEOs have as minimal as an undergraduate degree

of some kind. Most CEOs only have an undergraduate degree, and only 15.5% pursued a

doctoral degree (Martelli and Abels 209). Typically, those with degrees in managerial or

corporate positions within large companies like Publix tend to have degrees in things within the

realm of business or legal fields, because that seems more realistic for their position than

something like art history or medicine. With background knowledge on something like business,

it gives the associate an upper hand in the company because they understand how a business is

supposed to run. While on the job training would probably suffice in giving the associate the

proper knowledge to move through the company and understand how things work, having a

degree and an understanding of how a business is supposed to work, it allows the associate to

potentially make ground breaking changes that could aid the company. However, more

presently, we are seeing more degrees in economics and engineering as well (Martelli and Abels

209). It is also helpful in having a degree in something like Economics, because again, it will give

the associate the upper hand because they have well rounded knowledge about the economy

and how it is supposed to run. A large aspect of a business degree in Economics, so having the

knowledge in fields like those are extremely helpful in running a store or working for a large

corporation like Publix. When put in the position that there is more than one person up for

promotions, it is more likely for the person with a degree similar to the area they are trying to

get a job for, to be chosen over those who do not. So, a degree can give an added benefit to
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someone in search of a promotion, and it is extremely helpful for someone looking to be the

CEO of a company, like Publix, one day.

Publix is based out of Florida, specifically Lakeland, and now has stores in over 5 states

like Tennessee, Alabama, and the Carolinas. Jennifer Gonzalez wrote an article in The Chronicle

of Higher Education that discussed how Florida is one of the 17 states that now offers bachelor

degree programs at community colleges, and also leads the way with 19 community colleges

with bachelors degree programs in the state. This is important because a large reason of why

people do not attend college or receive higher education degrees is because of the cost

(Gonzalez). Community colleges cost significantly less than state colleges or universities. With

more opportunities for a larger range of people to be able to go to school for a degree, it is

opening more doors for more people. Though a degree is not required for managerial positions

within Publix, having one would always help. With more opportunity for higher education, there

is more opportunity to move up the corporate ladder with Publix and make it not only a job, but

a career. Stephen Rose wrote an article for Georgetown called The Value of a College Degree

which discussed graduation rates and enrollment rates in todays day and age. Enrollment in to

4 year universities however has increased significantly, particularly with those students older

than ones that are fresh out of high school (Rose 3). Graduation rates of students who attend

school right after high school are significantly higher without those over 20 years old factored in

(Rose 3). That being said, it is more common for students who are older to be more inclined to

work and start families, rather than be a full-time student. Those who are part time students

who are also juggling a life and a job are more at risk for either failure or incompletion (Rose 4).

By having community college with higher degree programs, it makes it more possible for those
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with full-time lives to be able to attend a lesser course load or go to school at night, without

overpaying or putting themselves at a higher risk for failure.

So, to conclude, having a degree is not mandatory to move into management positions

with Publix, however it has the potential to be extremely beneficial. Given the rate of people

attending college and pursuing higher level education and degrees for valued institutions, a

bachelors degree is slowly but surely turning into the new high school diploma. Years ago,

having a degree gave you a significant upper hand than others, but as degrees become more

popular, it becomes harder to impress with lower degrees. Having a bachelors degree can

significantly help someone climb Publixs corporate ladder. Though it is not required, having a

degree can only benefit someone interested in making Publix a career. Having sufficient

background knowledge in business or economics could only benefit someone seeking a

managerial or corporate position within Publix.

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Work Cited

Breckenridge, Patti. The Value of a College Degree. Publix, 16 July 2013,

blog.publix.com/careers/general-career-advice/the-value-of-a-college-degree/ from

https://blog.publix.com/careers/general-career-advice/the-value-of-a-college-degree/

Gonzalez, Jennifer. Floridas Community Colleges Offer Bachelors Degrees to Bolster Work-

Force Skills. The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc., vol. 57, no.39, 17 June 2011.

Expanded Academic ASAP, Company Business Management from

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=f56c55c8-e927-4dda-8a27-

a019dea0ecf6%40sessionmgr103&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU

%3d#AN=edsgcl.258844092&db=edsgea

Hinkin, T. R., & Tracey, J. B. (2010). What makes it so great? An analysis of human resources

practices among Fortunes best companies to work for. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly,

vol. 51, no. 2, May 2010, pp.158-170, from

http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1215&context=articles

Martelli, Joseph, and Patricia Abels. The Education of a Leader: Educational Credentials and

Other Characteristics of Chief Executive Officers. Journal of Education for Business, vol.

85, no. 4, Mar. 2010, pp.209-217. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson) from

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08832320903449592?

scroll=top&needAccess=true

Mujtaba, Bahaudin G, and William C Johnson. Creating an Organizational Culture of Delightful

Customer Intimacy at Publix Super Markets, Inc. International Journal of Marketing

Practices, vol. 3, no. 2, 2016, pp. 4767. from

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http://onlinesciencepublishing.com/assets/journal/JOU0021/ART00085/1478323734_IJ

MP-2016-3(2)-47-67.pdf

Porter, Kathleen. The Economic Value of Higher Education. ERIC Digest. from

http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED470038.pdf

Publix Super Markets Inc. How Publix Can Help You Succeed During College. Publix Super

Market: The Publix Checkout, blog.publix.com/how-publix-can-help-you-succeed-during-

college/. from https://blog.publix.com/publix/how-publix-can-help-you-succeed-during-

college/

Publix Super Markets Inc. Publix Super Markets, Inc. SWOT Analysis. Publix Super Markets, Inc.

SWOT Analysis., 12 Jan. 2017, pp. 1-8. Business Source Complete. from

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=29&sid=22f383e4-1526-

428e-94130e847901d12b%40sessionmgr103

Rose, Stephen. The Value of a College Degree. Georgetown, 2013, pp. 113. from

https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TVOACD.SR_.pdf

Tkaczyk, Christopher. Bag Boy Confidential: My Five Days of Working at Publix. Fortune, 3 Mar.

2016. from http://fortune.com/publix-best-companies/