Keeping google googley - Case Study Example

 Case Analysis: Google Inc Table of Contents Recommendations for Google Inc 2 Hofstede Dimensional Culture 2 Well Defined Organizational Structure 3 Transformational Leadership 3 External Analysis of Recommendation 4 Threats 4 Opportunities 5 General Environmental Analysis 5 Porter’s Five Forces Model 5 Five Success Factors 6 Internal Analysis 7 Strength 7 Weakness 8 Implementation 8 Conclusion 9 Works Cited 10 Case Analysis: Google Inc Recommendations for Google Inc Hofstede Dimensional Culture It is observed that bureaucratic organizational culture is one of the biggest growing concerns of Google Inc. The bureaucratic organizational culture served non instrumental in managing around 17000 employees. The company should have adopted the Hofstede Cultural Dimension which constitutes of four cultural dimensions like PDI (Power Distance Index), UAI (Uncertainty Avoidance), IDV (Individual Collectivism) and MAS (Masculinity Feminity Dimension) (Erkutlu 708-726). Power Distance Index: This indicates the degree to which power is distributed unequally among the members of the organization. It also indicates how the less powerful members of the organization accept the prevailing inequality readily. Individual Collectivism: It is the degree to which the members are integrated into various groups. Masculinity Feminity Dimension: It refers to the distribution of the values and roles between the genders. In countries with a high masculine culture the difference between the gender roles are prominent and vice versa (Jogulu 705-709). Uncertainty Avoidance The tolerance and acceptance of the societal norms is evaluated and measured for uncertainty and ambiguity purposes (Sabri 202-218). The cultural dimension of various countries are evaluated and calculated based on certain scores, which help in determining the various cultural elements of a country and the organizational culture of a particular country. Well Defined Organizational Structure It is observed from the case study that the organizational structure is not well defined and is loosely oriented. Google should adopt the support structure, which is preferable for improving the organizational structure and reducing the cultural and various other gaps between the preferred and existing organizational structure. Support culture helps in promoting shared assumptions, values, socialization and norms, etc. This helps in improving the organizational commitment among the organizational members (Meijen “The Influence of Organizational Culture on Organizational Commitment at a Selected Local Municipality”). Transformational Leadership It is observed from the case study that a well defined hierarchical structure is absent in the company which has led to chaotic and rapid decision making within the organization. Participative decision making is applicable only in certain circumstances; otherwise it will lead to confusion and chaos. Thus, the managers should adopt a leadership approach at several levels which would help in managing situational crisis and help in organizational effectiveness. Transformational leadership approach is mixture of charismatic and bureaucratic leadership approach, which helps the managers to raise the motivational level and morale of the employees. Transformational leadership approach paves the path for organizational success and improves the productivity and efficiency of the employees. Although, rapid decision making is pervasive in the company it should be noted that some important decisions require cautious and planned thinking. Transformational leadership helps in improving the organizational effectiveness by constantly monitoring the organizational procedure and providing significant strategic inputs (Hautala 777-794). External Analysis of Recommendation Among the above three recommendations it would be advisable if the management follows the transformational leadership approach, which would help in effective managerial decision making and improvisation of the existing procedure. This is because timely, effective decision making and proper management of the human resource helps in effective decision making (Groves 566-583). Threats Transformational leadership approach will be effective only if the managers have the potentiality of exhibiting charismatic leadership approach. The managers of Google need to exhibit different types of leadership approach at various levels for the successful completion of tasks (Hautala 777-794). Transformational leadership approach is more focused on the attainment of long term vision and goals rather than attainment of specific and short term goals. Attainment of short term goals will help the management on Google to lay more emphasis on the long term projects. Opportunities Transformational leadership has the potential of imbibing creativity, innovativeness, novelty, proneness to risk and courageous behavior among employees. This would help facilitating creative and independent thinking among employees which would lead to careful and timely decision making in the company. General Environmental Analysis Porter’s Five Forces Model 1) Threat of new entrants: The profitability and rapid growth of the industry attract new companies. However, in this case the existing IT companies will pose to be major threat to the new companies forcing them not to enter the industry. 2) Bargaining power of buyers: There are several buyers for IT services which includes Multinational Corporation, small business enterprises and individual clients. The customers have an array of option in buying the IT services and products hence the bargaining power of buyers is high in this industry. 3) Bargaining power of suppliers: There are few established suppliers in this industry which makes the entry of novice suppliers difficult. The suppliers form an integral part of the IT companies and do not enter into contracts with any companies. The bargaining power of suppliers is high in this industry ( “Overview of the IT and Information Services Sector in the UK”). 4) Threat of substitutes: The threat to substitutes is low because there are no substitutes for the IT products and services developed by the software companies. 5) Intensity of rivalry among competition: The intensity of competition among the existing IT companies is high. Customers like using the existing branded IT services and products. Five Success Factors Transformational Leadership Skill will help in enhancement of the personality of the employees by facilitating creative, independent and innovative thinking among employees which helps in development of advanced software and technological process. This approach will help in facilitating smooth communication among the employers, employees and suppliers. The dissemination of instruction and information would be structured and smooth in Google and help in avoiding confusion (Erkutlu 708-726). This approach helps the managers in managing their human resource effectively. This approach helps in promoting congenial work environment Transformational leadership approach will help in laying emphasis on the product development; the team members can focus on design and development of advanced software (Madoyan “The Advantages of Transformational Leadership”). Internal Analysis Strength Resource & Capabilities Google is known for its intellectual manpower that is responsible for the development of the intellectual property and large database. The man power planning of Google has helped in development of advanced software meant for large data storage capabilities. The company also owns a state of the art infrastructural facilities which help in the design of advanced software which can help the companies to successful attain the goals (Noto “Analyzing Resources and Capabilities”). Transformational leadership approach will help the technical team to develop advanced software (Bilbao-Osorio, Dutta and Lanvin “The Global Information Technology Report 2013”). Core Competency The core competency of Google lies in the design of the most advanced search tool developed by their intellectual team. The core competency of the company also lies in the development of the ranking algorithm and their large and exclusive database. The ranking algorithm makes is a part of indexing process which is utilized my using a huge matrix of weblinks. Transformational leadership has enabled the employees of Google to develop a unique core competency which has helped the company to gain competitive advantage over its competitors. Weakness Resource & Capabilities The intellectual team of Google is more focused on developing advanced technologies and software. The human resource, production and other departmental units are not given due importance unlike the technical teams. Transformational leadership approach exhibited by the managers can serve the purpose of the guide but cannot help the technical team in developing innovative software products (Czaja “The Trouble with Transformational Leadership”). Core Competency The company earns majority of its revenue from its core product which is the advanced search tool. Huge amount of money is invested in the development of other advanced software, yet the company has become complacent and has not developed a unique software product. Implementation Although, leadership approaches can be adopted by managers to a certain extent it is observed that leadership approaches can only serve the purpose of a guide and cannot be inculcated within a leader. Leaders are naturally born and not created hence it is not necessary that the managers of Google would be able to exhibit the transformational leadership approach with ease while managing a situational crisis. Adopting the leadership approach will require appraisal of the personality of the managers and the subordinates. This will help in the identification of the leaders from the managers by successfully distinguishing between transactional and transformational leadership approach. Conclusion Thus, in spite of the state of the art infrastructural facilities and an intellectual team Google Inc has major limitations and drawbacks, like lack of well defined and constructive organizational structure. This has led to chaotic and improper decision making. Transformational leadership approach will help in the advanced development of knowledge database and a managerial system, which will help in the creation of a traditional value system (Smith “Aligning Competencies, Capabilities and Resources”). Leadership training and development will help the managers to understand the core concepts of the transformational leadership approach and apply it accordingly to the managerial situations. Evaluation of leadership will help in understanding the personalities of the leaders and then modify it accordingly to the various situational crises. Works Cited Bilbao-Osorio, Benat, Soumitra Dutta, and Bruno Lanvin. “The Global Information Technology Report 2013.”Insead. Insead, 2013. Web. 06 July. 2013. Czaja, J. (2013). “The Trouble with Transformational Leadership.” Chron. Hearst newspaper, 2013. Web. 06 July. 2013. Erkutlu, H. “The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Organizational and Leadership effectiveness.” Journal of Management Development. 27.7 (2008): 708-726. Print. Groves, K.S. “Leader Emotional Expressivity, Visionary Leadership, and Organizational Change.” Leadership & Organization Development Journal. 27.7 (2006): 566-583. Print. Hautala, T. M. “The Relationship between Personality and Transformational Leadership.” Journal of Management Development. 25.8 (2006): 777-794. Print. Jogulu, U. D. “The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Organizational and Leadership Effectiveness.” Leadership & Organization Development Journal. 31.8 (2010): 705-709. Print. Madoyan, H. “The Advantages of Transformational Leadership.” Academia.edu. Academia.edu, 2013. Web. 06 July. 2013. Meijen, J.V.S. “The Influence of Organizational Culture on Organizational Commitment at a Selected Local Municipality.” Rhodes University. Rhodes University, 13 December 2007. Web. 06 July. 2013. Noto, Lucino. “Analyzing Resources and Capabilities.” Exxon Mobil. Exxon Mobil, 13 January 2013. Web. 06 July. 2013. Sabri, H.A. “Re-examination of Hofstede Work Value Orientations on Perceived Leadership Styles in Jordan.” International Journal of Commerce and Management. 22.3 (2012): 202-218. Print. Smith, Roger. “Aligning Competencies, Capabilities and Resources.” The Journal of the Industrial Research Institute. (2013): 01-11. Print. “Overview of the IT and Information Services Sector in the UK.” Graduate Prospects. Graduate Prospects, 2 July 2013. Web. 06 July. 2013. Read More