Management Style of Google - Case Study Example

?Analysis of Googling Out of Control and Work in Google Introduction This paper is tasked to analyze the organization or management style of Google. The analysis shall be limited by a video presentation and the case study which showcase the Google organization structure and functions. They focus on the work environment of the Google employees which may have a negative impact on the business in its entirety. The essay highlights the risks that the business faces due to the lack of structure in the management system. Organizational Culture is the shared beliefs, assumptions and values of the employees within the organization. Organizational Structure is where roles and/or ranks of employees are determined. It is advanced that success may still be realized so long as the culture and values of the organization and its employees are attuned with each other thus any challenges faced by the organization may be managed or prevented. A concrete example of culture adaptation or acclimatization is that of Google. In the video, Google is commended for its fun and relaxing work atmosphere. Notwithstanding the laid back work structure, it is able to provide perks and incentives to everyone in the organization. Google is able to support its management style due to the billions of revenues and profits it is able to generate through their Online Services and advertisements. And, it is in this context that this paper will analyze the Google’s success. Discussion There are 3 forms of Organizations, the Classical, Modern and Post-Modern. In the Classical Organization Form, managers avoid risks that would put the organizations at jeopardy while in the Modern Organization Form managers create contingency plans for possible situations that can happen in risky decisions. On the other hand, Post-Modern Organization Form managers take risks and create an action plan only when bad situations arise. Google has come a long way from the original objective of its founders. It was initially created as a graduate project in Stanford University. The website was launched in 1996 in the internal website of Stanford and two years after, Google turned into a successful commercial enterprise. From a name that is represented by 100 zeroes after a number 1, Google has been a success since its inception. The founders were able to transform a simple university project to a lucrative company valued at more than $30 billion. Google’s reach is extensive considering that it receives more transactions than the stock exchanges of New York, London, Geneva Frankfurt and Paris combined. From the video “Work in Google”, Fortune Magazine has named Google as the best company to work for in America in 2007. The founders of Google are able to create an environment where employees are able to have fun and enjoy being at work while creating a place where employees are able to be productive and excel in their fields. According to the video anchors, Fortune magazine chose Google as one of the best workplaces in America because of numerous reasons one of them being the food it serves in its cafeteria. It does not merely house a simple cafeteria that other organizations normally have but Google distinguished itself by providing a service comparable to eleven gourmet restaurants inside its cafeteria. The unconventional way of Google’s management style is well-appreciated by its employees—they positively respond and return the favor by working hard and being productive. Google employees declare that they are willing to do anything for the company since Google is invested towards providing an environment that is comfortable and conducive for work. It puts ahead the comfort of the employees by not employing a restrictive dress code—instead the employees are given the freedom and liberty to wear any type of clothes they deem comfortable. Pets are also allowed in the workplace provided that colleagues are not bothered by their presence. It is evident therefore that the lack of structure in the management system is not a factor in the success of the business. The case study likewise echoes the observation that the environment enjoyed by Google employees is similar to a “campus life”. It likewise emphasized the importance and recognition given by Google to its employees for the success of its business. Google operates a sound policy by acknowledging that the interest of Google is as important as the interest of its employees. Each employee is accorded due recognition is accorded not to mention the roles they have to play in the organization. The case study mentions that the organization uses the Chaos Management technique. Thus it is relevant to mention Chaos Management since it is responsible for the culture that is developed within Google as an organization. It is a well-documented management system and not only a management technique that organizations use to manage through times of chaos. It advocates that the person to handle an issue or problem should be the person who first encountered them. In the same sense, Google believes that the employees should be given the discretion to handle, define or manage the situation since they are the ones who face the issues or problems. Nonetheless, the lifeblood or profits of Google is not dependent on its human resource outputs but it can run with the least number of personnel and generate income mostly from advertisements on their websites. The introduction of Google as a search engine is tool or device for internet users to access information but more importantly, to provide a venue to advertise products since the new generation of sales and transactions are being conducted through the internet. Google has yet to surpass this great idea and as of this time, there is no better alternative available or being offered in the information technology world. Google however was able to prove that the culture developed within its organization, contrary to fearless forecasts of pundits, is a success not only to the founders but it is likewise productive and beneficial to its employees. The success of Google is worthy of immolation since it was able to create an environment where employees are able to adjust and relieve their stress through the facilities and amenities that Google has provided. Nonetheless, Google’s culture and management system is bound to collapse. This theory is supported by the article “Post-modern Organization New forms of Organizational Control” by Dragan Lon~ar where he mentioned the possible downsides that organizations could face in the postmodern organization forms. One of the reasons is the stress that the employees could face because the failure or success of an undertaking lies solely on the employees who are responsible or assigned to the task. The outcome is attributable to the employees concerned with the project or task since they are given the freedom to decide on their courses of action. The informality that Google has set on its organization enabled the company grow into a successful and profitable organization. It has been successful in implementing the Post-modern form of organization. They are able to motivate their employees through the facilities and amenities that they are able to provide. Based on the case study and the video provided, Google employees are able to produce not only the expected output from them but may even have surpassed expectations. Again, judging from the profits that the Google Organization has been raking in since its opening in the late 1990s, the organization is able to function well in the chaotic state of management it has been in. But from the business perspective, a closer look in the Google Organization would reveal that the informal way of handling things affects the professionalism of the employees within the Google Organization. Although the loyalty that the Google employees have for the organizations is commendable, as duly noted in the video, the employees would do almost anything for it, it is not able to foster professionalism in its ranks. It cannot be disputed though that the management technique they implemented and follow up to this time is successful due to the trust, confidence and loyalty of the employees. As earlier articulated, Google employees work on an informal environment thus they atmosphere is based on their moods or temperaments—it may be pleasant or dour. The Google employees may act out without any repercussions at all. It is concerned with the individual players and not team oriented. In the definition given in the course for organizational structure from Huczynksi &Buchanan, it is the formal system that defines the roles, tasks and relationships between the employees. It guides, manages and give incentives to the employees to be able to work in harmony achieve common organizational goals. It could be gleaned that Google lacks the structure that would normally support organizations in times crisis. The Organizational Structure is important since the organization would be able to tell where the accountability is for each of the actions of the organization makes. In a management system where each employee may act independent from the other, it would be difficult to pinpoint liability or to implement corrective measures. The policy makers would not be able to see where the problem started since the organization does not have a formal structure that would show the flow of works—who reports to who and what department reports to what department. Without the structure, the employee who made the decision that led to a bad outcome would not be held accountable and the chance that the error may recur is a strong possibility. Conclusion For an organization that does not have a formal organizational structure would affect the way a company would run when it is in a crisis. The video, Work in Google, and the case study, Googling out of Control, they both commend Google for being a successful organization but they also ask if Google would be able to survive a crisis in its current state. The decision-making in the fiscal management for an organization that has no organizational structure would be difficult to keep afloat. It would be difficult for the owners of the organization to make all the decisions—to hire, fire and discipline employees since the lack of structure does not give them the leeway to delegate task. The Fiscal Management of the organization will still be their responsibility including the administrative functions and the decision-making for the organization. Google may be able to function well in the current culture that they have in the office but the lack of structure of the organization would lead to its breakdown in the future. Google may keep the informality of the environment in their office but they need to create a structure wherein the employees would know what they will do in the organization. Bibliography Anon., 2007. Googling out of control. Strategic Direction, 23(82007), pp. 25-27. Ashkenas, R., Ulrich, D., Jick, T. & Kerr, S., 2002. 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