Googling Out of Control Case Study - Essay Example

?"Goggling Out of Control" Case Study Table of Contents Introduction 3 Brief Overview of the Company (Google) 3 Critical Analysis of the Organizational Culture of Google and its Way of Working 4 Issues Regarding Google’s Way of Working 9 Conclusion 11 References 12 Bibliography 13 Introduction In the modern day context, culture has a major role to play supporting different business organisations to fulfil their respective predetermined business targets. The significant concern of organisational culture is regarded as a valuable aspect that includes norms, rules, values as well as working systems of the organisations. The behaviour of employees is considered to be the other vital aspect that is included in the culture of an organisation. It has been apparently observed that every organisation has its own approach towards building an effective workplace culture. Organisation culture is directly responsible for enhancing the overall performances of the organisations by a greater level. In this regard, the example of Google Inc. will depict a clear picture based on the above mentioned facts. It has been viewed in this similar background that Google possess a working culture in its workplace that gives maximum liberty to its employees concerning dress, eat and behave as well as to perform in accordance with what they desire. This can be regarded as one of the vital and the major reasons for the effective performance of the company throughout the globe (Wilson, 2010; Bloisi & et. al., 2007; Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007). With this concern, this paper intends to elaborate and critically analyse the organisational culture and “Googley way of working”. Brief Overview of the Company (Google) Google Inc. is popularly known as one of the most widely used search engines of the world. It was established in the year 1998 as a global technology company which mainly focuses on improving the approach through which people acquire relevant information about any subject matter or topic. In the year 201, the company shifts its area of focus on search and advertising through which the company succeeded to attain substantial revenues. It has been learnt that the company was founded by the duo of Sergey Brin and Larry Page who were students in Stanford College. The prime motto of the company is to organize and provide all the information and make accessible to all people throughout the entire globe. The company has its official headquarter in California and operates in almost different corners of the globe. It has gained the reputation to be called as the leading search engine of the world (Google, 2013). Critical Analysis of the Organizational Culture of Google and its Way of Working Organisational culture is regarded to be one of the vital aspects that directly impose significant impact upon the overall performance of the companies by a considerable level. The notion i.e. organisational culture is typically regarded as the collective behaviour of the people belonging to any particular organisation. It has been viewed that cultures of any organisation encompasses values, norms, beliefs and working system among others. An organisation is identified from its culture which needs to be effectively organised. Organisational culture may be defined as shared value that preserve by members of any organisation so that it can present itself differently from other organisations. Different organisations possess dissimilar sorts of organisational culture. There pertain numerous characteristics that can be observed to be involved in the formation of an effective organisational culture. In this similar context, innovation and risk taking approach of the employees is amid the vital characteristics of an organisation’s culture. Detailed analysis of a particular task is another feature of organisational culture. The degree to which the employees of any organisation give attention in every detail is also a part of organisation culture. Furthermore it has also been noted that working in teams and delivering desired results are also regarded as the crucial factors that is included in the culture of any organisations. Apart from this there are various other aspects that together form the culture of any organisation. It has also been noticed that cultures of any organisation changes according to the desires as well as the wants of the consumers concerning buying different products (Robbins, 2009; Black, 2003). Google is among the most popular companies of the world relating to the segment of information technology (IT). The success of the company is largely due to its performance of efficient operations throughout the globe. Organizational culture is an important aspect that the company duly emphasises upon by a greater level. With regard to critically analyse the organisational culture of Google, it has been noted that the operations of the company involve lot of chaos. It is worth mentioning that chaos have gained some added respectability in this modern day context. It has been learnt that chaos is a sort of situation which is random as well as unpredictable. It can arise from complex behaviour of people or any kind of change in an organization. Google is among the company that earns maximum amount of profit from the prevalence of such chaotic situations. Furthermore, it can be stated that this particular factor ultimately supports the company to attain superior competitive position. Chaos is among the factor that is beneficial for organizations in context to the modern day scenario where the world is experiencing rapid developments with the adoption as well as the execution of pioneering technical advancements. However, it is important for the organizations to have an up-to-the-minute chaos management style for the purpose of enhancing their overall performance and most significantly to mitigate any sort of complex issue. Google is an example of a company that possess up-to-the-minute chaos management style as more than 50 percent internet users of the world use Google to search information. This aspect basically leads to chaos in the network of the company. It has been noted that in the early days or in the preceding years, business was conducted just by manufacturing products and then selling them into the business market. In contrast, the way of conducting business has been changed in this modern day context. In this similar context, it has been apparently observed that the business or strategic managers in the modern day business adopts as well as executes modern technologies like internet, cell phone and fax among others that ultimately changed the nature and the way to perform business. Outdated ideas as well as technologies have no place to stay in the modern day business scenario. In relation to this, Google has the upper hand over its competitors in the global market (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007). From the viewpoint of critically analysing Google’s way of working, it has been apparently noted that the company consider its employees as biggest assets assisting the company to raise as well as to enhance organisational effectiveness by a significant level. The innovative thinking power of the employees of the company is well appreciated and encouraged to prosper. The company always intends to maintain to a creative as well as innovative working culture where the employees can deliver as well as support towards fulfilling organisational objectives. At Google, it has been believed that employees are paid for thinking and developing ideas and also dare to take risk for the welfare of the company. This aspect is also considered as one of the prime reasons for the attainment of immense success by the company at large. The company encourages its employees to explore with fresh ideas relating to working style. Mistakes of its employees are always taken positively by the company. It strives to preserve a working environment in the company where the mistakes of the employees are seen as a tool of learning ultimately developing their performance at large. Moreover, this particular concern also allows the personnel to come up with outrageous ideas differentiating the company from its competitors and enhancing its position in the global business market. Since the founders of the company i.e. Sergey Brin and Larry Page are quite appreciative towards exploring innovative ideas, it can be ascertained that good ideas are inclined to arrive at the company through its employees. This effective workplace culture that prevails in the organisation has played a major role in making the company from just a mere internet site to one of the biggest, most preferred and the most well-known search engines of the world. It is obvious that the young employees feel much hard to align themselves with the culture prevailing within any specific organisation. This can be owing to the reasons of shortage of experience and inability to perform effective leadership skills among others. Moreover, there lies the existence of several norms and rules that need to be followed by the employees after joining an organization. All this aspect makes the corporate life of new employees quite undesirable. However, the scenario is totally different in Google. In this company, the work force would feel like as if they are working somewhere in the campus. As most of the employees in Google are in the age group of 20-30, this aspect is of great help for them. Furthermore, the workplace culture of the company is such that there is no particular dress code for the employees. They are free to wear anything that makes them comfortable while working. These gives a campus like environment to the workplace and it learnt to be quite effective in enhancing the productivity of the employees (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007). Furthermore, it has been noticed that the furnishing of the company is quite casual which can be viewed with the decorations made from bicycles and exercise balls that prevail in the office space. Another important and appreciative aspect of the workplace culture of Google is that dogs are allowed to enter in the work place of the company. Employees are free to bring their dogs and pets while working in the office. Additionally, other significant aspect of the workplace culture of Google is that all its employees have their meals altogether in the Google cafe. The significant factor about it is that all the meals available in the cafe are free of cost to everyone present in the workplace. This shows the extent to which Google take better care of its entire personnel by a greater level. Moreover, in accordance with the presentation portrayed in the video clip, it has been viewed that the United States based office of the company is described as the finest place to work by the Fortune Magazine. The survey is done among the top 100 companies of the US. Google topped the list, as the top corporation to work in the US with regard to its working culture. The workplace for the US office of the company has fitness centre especially designed for the employees where they can work out any time of the day. Other facilities for the employees of the company include barber shop, car wash, laundry and specialist doctors with free cost. There is also a gaming zone where the employees and staffs of the company can enjoy their free time. However, despite all these extra expenses, the company earns record amount of profits by conducting its different operational functions. This depicts how employee satisfaction can work for the betterment of the organisation (Theng, 2007). Overall, it can be said that the work culture in Google is similar to what people can only dream of in their corporate life. The above discussed aspects clearly depicts that the success of the company can be determined by focusing upon its different approach concerning towards its employees as well as workplace culture (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007). Issues Regarding Google’s Way of Working The working environment of Google is quite innovative and effective to deliver positive results for the company. It can be noted from the above analysis that Google possess a casual approach towards its overall business operation. The company provides complete liberty to its employees so that they can perform to the utmost level of their capacity which in turn enhancing the performance of the company at large. However, critics have different opinions towards this casual approach of the organisation argued based on preserving the sustainability of the company in the long run. The casual approach of the company relating to its workplace culture is termed as “Googley way working” by the company. This approach of the company is also seen as its style of managing chaos in the modern day working environment. However, people considered the “Googley way of working” unsustainable in the long term functioning of the organisation resulting in hampering the overall performances of the company by a certain degree. It has been noted that in spite of having such approach towards its operation, the company attained immense success and enhanced profitability by a greater level. The main revenue of the company has been viewed to be generated from the advertising and the ideas that adopts as well as executes by the company is termed as the ‘next big idea’ supporting it to accomplish expected business targets at large (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007). Critics have depicted that advertising is the biggest strength of the company and whenever the company move out of its comfort zone, its overall business performance gets hampered. It has been further observed that some of the products of the company in recent times have shown to be a bit weaker than that of similar kinds of products of its competitors. The casual approach of the company can push them into trouble when the chaos situations of the company become unmanageable. Furthermore, it has been noted that Google is becoming a generic term and is considered to be a critical aspect that might generate critical problems to the company. One can consider this aspect as an advantage for the company, but certain business experts determines that it has a negative side too. According to certain experts, brand name will not associate with a product for ever. It is the product that develops the image of any company. As Google has become a household name portraying the world’s premier search engine, other products of the company might fail to create the euphoria among the general people. This might raise the market share of the company by a greater level. However, it is to be affirmed that these are only future predictions for the company and have nothing to do with the present immense success of the company. So overall, it can be assumed that the “Googley way of working” as well as chaos management style of Google has enabled the company to deliver positive results throughout the globe (Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007). Conclusion From the overall analysis, it can be summarized that organizational culture as well as working style can be regarded as an imperative aspect that requires to be considered in ensuring effective performance for any organization. An organisational or workplace culture that is employee centred i.e. providing excellent benefits to the employees and performing deliberate efforts concerning towards the lifestyle of the employees would enable it to raise organisational effectiveness and most significantly can fulfil desired business targets. It has been apparently observed that Google possess a working culture that is quite different from other companies in the modern day scenario. The company provides full liberty to its employees in context to dress code, behaviour and other activities in the workplace. The company provide food, gym centre, car wash and many other extraordinary facilities that are all free of any cost. In this regard, the company was declared as the best place to work by the Fortune Magazine. This working culture of the company has played a major role in fostering the employees to work effectively that would enable the company to reach towards success. From the overall analysis, it can be concluded that the success of the company is directly related to the approach concerning its organisational culture along with way of working. References Bloisi, W. & et. al., 2007. Management and Organisational Behaviour. Mcgraw-Hill Higher Education. Black, R., 2003. Organisational Culture: Creating the Influence Needed for Strategic Success. Universal-Publishers. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2007. Googling Out of Control. Strategic Direction, Vol. 23, No. 8, pp. 25-27. Google, 2013. Who We Are. Home. [Online] Available at: http://www.google.co.in/about/company/facts/ [Accessed May 03, 2013]. Robbins, S. P., 2009. Organisational Behaviour in Southern Africa, 2nd edition. Pearson South Africa. Theng, S. T. S., 2007. Work in Google. Video. [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdrctZ3EDPU [Accessed May 03, 2013]. Wilson, F., 2010. Organizational Behaviour and Work: A Critical Introduction. OUP Oxford. Bibliography Morgan, G., 2006. Images of Organization. Sage. Robbins, S. P., 2010. Organizational Behaviour. FT Prentice Hall. Thompson, P. & McHugh, D., 2009. Work Organisations. Macmillan. Read More