Critical Analysis of Google Company - Essay Example

Google Company Name Professor Institution Course Date Google Company Company Background Google is a leading American multinational company focusing on Internet-based product and services. These products consist of search, software, cloud computing and online advertising technologies. The company derives most of its revenues from AdWords (Vise, 2005). Google was established just like a garage company in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, computer science graduates from Stanford University. The company went public for the first time in 2004 generating $1.6 billions. Larry continued with the assignment of designing a new type of internet server source which would apply low-end PCs in place of the big pricey machines. Jointly they own approximately 16percent of Google shares. Google perceives the internet as a way of sharing the world’s data and information and to enable end users to have a fast and easy platform to access data and information is its prime function. Vise (2005) states the company has approximate to run over one million servers in their data centers across the world. Google rapid growth has generated several products, partnerships and acquisitions beyond search engine making it be regarded as one of the best companies in the world. Table of Contents Google Company 1 Company Background 1 Table of Contents 2 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Reasons why Google is considered one of the best companies in the world 4 2.1 cost strategy 4 2.2 Organizational structure and culture 4 2.3 Leadership 6 2.4 Personnel 6 2.5 Acquisition and innovation 7 3.0 Google is a secretive company 9 4.0 Conclusion 10 5.0References 11 1.0 Introduction Google is a world technology leader, emphasizing on enhancing the ways individual connect with data and information. By means of innovations in advertising and web search, Google is currently a leading Internet destination and owns one of the most accepted brands across the world. Accessible to everybody who has an Internet connection, Google holds the world's major online directory of web sites. Vise (2005) states the company presents productivity software, likes the Gmail email service, social networking tools, consisting of Orkut and lately, Google+ and Google Buzz. Google's brand expand to the desktop too, with applications like the Google Chrome, and photo organization, the Picasa and the Google Talk. The company also leads in the Android operating system development in mobile. These products would make one think that this is the reason why Google is one of the leading technology companies. However without clear market strategies, Google would not be where it is bearing in mind the competitors like Yahoo owned by Microsoft. This paper brings forth the analysis why Google is considered to be one of the world’s best companies and at the same time one of the world’s most secretive organizations. 2.0 Reasons why Google is considered one of the best companies in the world 2.1 cost strategy Fortune defines Google as the best corporation to work for, and major observers pay tribute to the company for the domination of the technology and their length of time as the leading search engine. This rating did not appear difficult due to their effectiveness and efficiency and their strategy of carrying out extra business compared to all their competitors at a lower cost (Thomas, John & Joseph, 2010). The emergence of Google Company allowed the sharing of information sharing and distribution at a low cost from the producer to the information consumer. This new setting facilitated access of an increasing number of people and consumers to new types of businesses which has been constantly established. This innovation is changing the setting where companies, governments and societies interact at lower cost; this platform has been created by Google Company. These changes are, in particular, in the manner data is processed into information, sent, received and stored. In the new setting, the consumer wants to get the value for their money at with a consideration of flexibility and speed at a lower cost (Thomas, John & Joseph, 2010). 2.2 Organizational structure and culture In an organizational context, Google upholds democratic and casual atmosphere, leading to its feature of being a “Flat” organization. The organization does not brag of a large middle level management and upper level management that is hands on, it’s difficult to rank them in a different group. Teams that are created comprise of members with a certain degree of autonomy and equal authority preserved. When asked about the organization, online sales and operations manager and a former Kodak executive, Karen Godwin responded that, "We are a highly collaborative culture, with no top-down hierarchy” (Katherine, 2007). This kind of arrangement termed as techno-democracy needs a great effort to sustain. So as to safeguard it, a form of bread and circuses atmosphere is built. Katherine (2007) argues that Google Company bears some distinctive organizational culture aspects such as: Offices with a local touch like Zurich’s ski gondolas, showing every office's exceptional personality and location. Dogs, massage chairs and lava lamps. Double rooms offices occupied by three to four members belonging to one team. Darts, Foosball, video games, ping pong tables, pianos, lap pools, gyms including dance classes and yoga. Social groups like meditation classes, wine tasting groups, film clubs and salsa dance groups, Health food from a wide range of cafés and sunshine brainstorming. Drinks and snacks at the office for Google staffs. The reason for having such kind of culture at the workplace is because the management considers that taking of employees well is more significant compared to making a lot of profit. In an interview Larry Page states that “treating employees with respect, encouraging individual creative endeavors make them motivated hence working hard to stick to their motto of “Don't be evil” and enhance performance. Lashinsky (2007b) argues that this organizational culture has paid off the Internet search engine company and it currently employs 18,500 individuals in the United States. The management believes that it is their job to ensure everyone in the organization has great chances, and feel they are bearing a significant impact and are participating to the betterment of the society. Innovative and creative corporate culture at Google assists its employees succeed; they work hard and get results. In a technology industry newsletter, the vice president of SearchEngineWatch.com, Kevin Ryan argues that "The Google culture is perhaps one of the most influential, positive, all-inclusive, efficiency-inducing settings the world has ever witnessed" (Katherine, 2007). Google inculcates in its staff the credo which is not concerning money- but rather about a lifestyle that bring fourth innovative advantage over their competition. They depict themselves as an organization that works with the aim of transforming the world through creative involvement and teamwork. Staffs feel confident to part of such business take massive gratification (Lashinsky, 2007b). 2.3 Leadership Sergey Brin and Larry Page still play a dynamic role in the daily affairs of Google Company. As such, they have created a corporate culture that is deeply rooted in delegation. “Individual staffs are persuaded to give their opinion from their first day” (Tittemore, 2003) , and even decisions typically left for management like hiring, are carried out through a collaborative method. The outcomes of their endeavors is possibly the best case of a Loose-Tight organization; one in which the key staff have autonomy, but working in a single unifying values. Google is and is likely to be one of the most flexible and competitive companies in the modern times. The management readiness to learn from its past experiment and mistakes blends perfectly it’s internal with its collaborative structure. 2.4 Personnel Google has always been ranked in the top five categories of the “Best Companies to Work For” rankings in the Fortune magazine. This information will not die soon among the next generation of technology savvy people. This information is supported by the research carried out by Universum Ideal Employer that found out that almost one out five students in undergraduate courses, 17 per cent pick Google, the web's top search engine as their preferred company (Katherine, 2007). Trust is built at the time of hiring, which goes after an extremely technical line. In this manner, it demonstrates much of adherence of ethics and professional, by engineer’s corporate culture in the company. When a new candidate is deemed fit for a position and hired, information collected concerning their schooling or previous workplace is analyzed and kept in the applicant tracking system. The system is designed to match the information to data concerning current Google staff-say, a candidate who is a graduate of Stanford University is matched with a member of staff who graduated from that university. According to Katherine (2007) the company employs applicant tracking system (ATS) to request employees to assess on candidates who have just submitted their curriculum vitae online. Following the matching, the e-mail automatically requests staff for internal references. Staff can answer through e-mail, thus updating the company system. This enables recruiters to bring on board staff who know the needs of the jobs and the culture in evaluating the fit of potential candidates (Hartnell, Ou & Kinicki, 2011). It enables present employees to create the group existing together even though they may not part of the proper interview course. When considered, staffs work in free teams in a stress-free environment. The blend of this environment with the systematic context of Google task-related, engineer develop system makes it difficult for the fit. The Google head of design that previously held the office, for instance, was forced to resign when the organization anticipated a collaborative debate over even the less details of his duties. This kind of restrictions derives from the Laboratory settings at Stanford in which Google was initially developed by its creators. 2.5 Acquisition and innovation Google Company focuses on the enhancement of the manner in which individuals connect access information online. The corporation has always in the past, made the bigger fraction of its profits, from online ads. The company expressed its major focus on areas such as innovation in search, advertising, platforms, enterprise and operating system. Several businesses are using its AdWords platform to promote their brands, thus concentrating majorly on advertisement. The company’s third party that consists of the Google network applies the AdSense platform to deliver pertinent ads that promote the user experience apart from generating profits. Google has bought several firms in its recent years. In 2010, it bought Aardvar Inc. and On2 Technologies. Later in that year, Google acquired Widevine technologies Inc and Slide Inc. In 2011, the company acquired Zagat and PushLife respectively (Katherine, 2007). In addition, these third-party sites that consist of Google network apply AdSense software to deliver pertinent advertisements that create profits and promote the customer experience. So far, Google Company has bought over 50 firms. Each acquisition brings fourth a firm that could be different in its method of carrying out its operations. Google has been able to merge all these firms under its culture and realize the positive results that Google has been posting recently showing effective change in adoption of the acquisition process. The company has developed Google music, a service that will make it sell music as an individual track or full albums. This service will allow its clients to store music files in cloud stores. Through Google+, incorporation with growing social network, the company will make it possible for clients to share music in an online platform by providing acquaintances a single opportunity to listen to any acquired track. With these kinds of services, Google is presenting a music store having sharing capabilities placing Google in a good place to compete with companies such as Apple, Amazon and Facebook among others. Google Company has dominated the web search and advertisement market for more than a year compared to any web investors. However this positions Google in spotlight due to its innovations. 3.0 Google is a secretive company In 2009, Google was faced with privacy and antitrust issues. It is alleged that the company secretly allowed change and share of third-party data within a wide range of services. This act was condemned because of creating monopoly and discouraging innovation. E. Schmidt, Google’s Chairman was put to task while testifying before a senate board concerning the manner in which Google generates their search results (Cade, 2009). Due to these acts of secrecy, he was also asked to explain whether the company favors its personal ventures, pursue customers, and frustrates competition. On his answer, Schmidt stated that although Google has been involved in diversified businesses, the corporation puts its customer’s interest first. In 2010, Google Company and National Security Agency reached an agreement to probe recent attacks on Google networks. It was reported that the agreement did not grant NSA access to the company’s data on e-mail accounts and communications. Google did not share its proprietary information with the National Security Agency for the reason not stated (Noah, 2013). Google Company considers that their future is developed in the organization’s top secret laboratory, called Google X. This is built in an undisclosed position in the bay area site. At this laboratory, Google is dealing with several shoots for the bigger ideas. In their list of ideas, they are developing an online refrigerator that is internet connected, having sensors that can establish when a product is running out and mechanically putting orders. Another revelation that the secret laboratory may initiate a dinner plate into social network posting what one is eating to his or her favorite social network. Google is also intending to develop a robot that could move to the office and serve people relaxing at home. Making this thought secretive, it is cannot be the eventual security for its thoughts; other organizations are also coming up with equally innovative ideas. The secretive laboratory shows the corporation’s aim of being an organization where groundbreaking study and development takes place, corresponding to the Xerox PARC, the designer of the contemporary PCs from 1970’s. 4.0 Conclusion Every top management in an organization has the responsibility of managing its strategies in major areas such as cost, human resource (employees), leadership, innovation and competition in order to promote its sales and generate revenue in line with organizational goals. Google has always considered these strategies in its major businesses, mainly the search engine services and ads. This has made the organization to raise billions of profits making it one of the most lucrative online corporations. This has also facilitated the corporation buy other firms in their attempts to expand their major dealing, and also take part in other profitable businesses such as smart phone android software and mobile business. This has resulted to quite a big business in sustaining the organization’s profitability. In the years, the company has made billions of revenues and the corporation has developed tremendously. To sustain the pace of competition Google should consistently focus its ability to the core elements including the strategic analysis, strategic options development and strategy implementation. 5.0References Books & Journals Tittemore, James A. (2003). Leadership at all Levels. Canada: Boskwa Publishing. Thomas, N., John H. & Joseph Z. (2010). The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing: A Guide to Growing More Profitably, 5th edn. London: Prentice Hall. Hartnell, C. A., Ou, A. Y., & Kinicki, A. (2011). Organizational Culture and Organizational Effectiveness: A Meta-Analytic Investigation of the Competing Values Framework's Theoretical Suppositions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(4), 677-694, doi: 10.1037/a0021987 Newspapers Cade, M. (2009). Google chief: Only miscreants worry about net privacy. The Register, 7th Dec 2009. Katherine, Y. (2007). Google's engine for change. Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. Vise, D. A. (2005). Online Ads Give Google Huge Gain in Profit. The Washington Post, 21st oct. 2005. Web pages Lashinsky, A. (2007b). The perks of being a Googler. Retrieved 3rd June 2013 from http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/fortune/0701/gallery.Google_perks/2.html Noah S, (2013). How the NSA Deal Could Kill Google. Retrieved 3rd June 2013, http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/02/from-dont-be- evil-to-spy-on-everyone/ Read More