Few recognize the importance of fostering a fun work environment as well as does Robert Stephens. Since founding mobile tech-support firm Geek Squad in 1994, the young CEO has developed an imaginative corporate culture for his firm—one in which his staff of techie nerds take on alter egos as "double agents," "counter intelligence agents," and "precinct chiefs."

But working for the Minneapolis-based Geek Squad involves more than assuming titles borrowed from the intelligence and police communities. Geek Squad employees also wear eye-catching uniforms, donning white short sleeve dress shirts, black clip-on ties, black pants, and white socks. For transportation, double agents race around in squad-car-painted geekmobiles (squad-car painted VW Beetles). Their mission? To save frantic customers from computer viruses, crashes, and even the blue screen of death.

Mr. Stephens' obsession with creating a fun corporate culture is not mere uncontrolled nerdiness. It's good business. The Geek Squad's above-average return on invested capital, attractive operating margins estimated in the range of 25% to 30%, and tie-in with Best Buy are just a few of the results generated by this highly satisfied workforce. The lesson: happy employees are profitable employees. That's a lesson more companies should take to heart.