Chaos Management in Google - Case Study Example

Google Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 About Google 3 Chaos Management 5 Work Culture of Google 6 Recommendations 10 Conclusion10 References 11 Bibliography 12 Introduction This is the case study that deals with chaos management in Google. It describes the work culture in Google and how chaos is managed. Google is a multinational public cloud computing, internet search and advertising technologies corporation. It hosts and develops a number of internet based services and products and generates profit mainly from advertising through its Ad Words program. Chaos at this organization is effectively handled through a different pattern of work culture. The main objective of the study is to have a clear understanding of chaos management, the work culture of Google and how chaos is managed so that the employees are motivated to work and the goals of the organization can be achieved. About Google The prime founders of the company were Larry Page and Sergey Brin. It was founded in the year 1996 as a research project. Initially they named the new engine as “BackRub” but eventually they changed the name as Google that originated from the misspelling of the word “Googol, the number one followed by one hundred zeroes. The name Google means the immense number of information exists and the scope of the Google’s mission deals with systematizing the available information so that those can be accessed and used by people from various parts of the world. It was on September, 1997, when the domain google.com was registered and the company was incorporated on September 4, 1998, at friend’s garage in Menlo Park, California. There are many products that it deals with. The list of Google products include all major desktop, mobile and online products released or acquired by Google Inc. Ninety percent of Google’s revenue comes from advertising programs. It’s because of the innovation made by the Google that in online advertising market that helped them to be the biggest advertisers in the world. The company basically has two advertisement schemes namely cost per click and cost per view scheme in the content network of Google. Also, the advertisements made with Google can be placed with third part websites. Another major success of Google has been the Google Ad sense where one can create a website and exhibit the advertisements and thereby can earn money every time such advertisements are clicked. But the most prominent and astounding success has been the search engine. Along with these various online features are available like that of Gmail, which is a free webmail services provided by Google that allows users to send and receive mails. It allows users to keep emails from the same conversation together in one thread, similar to an internet forum. Google Docs is another important product from Google that allows user to create, edit, and collaborate on documents keeping it online and sharing those online with partners. Google Apps also has helped various large medium sized or small enterprises with online solutions. There are many other products like Google Translate, Google Wave, and Google Chrome Etc. Google has been regularly featuring in the list of the ‘best companies to work for’ last 4 years. The company basically follows an informal corporate culture and it is enabled it to rank first in 2007 and 2008 and fourth in 2009 and 2010 according to the Fortune list of employers. The various principles like "you can make money without doing evil," "you can be serious without a suit," and "work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun" talks about the culture that is prevalent in the company (Google, 2010). Chaos Management The word chaos is a jargon that is used to describe particular types of complex behavior. It is the term that is used to describe the apparently complex behavior of what is thought to be simple and well behaved system. Chaotic behavior looks to be random like the behavior of the system which is majorly influenced by the external factors, random noise or the complicated behavior of a system with many degrees of freedom, each doing its own thing. The study of chaos has provided new conceptual and theoretical tools that help to categorize and understand complex behavior that has confounded previous theories. Chaos management is a technique which helps to organize the work so that the valuable time can be utilized for doing those things that are important rather than wasting time in search of misplaced items. There are many types of changes that take place in contrast to the past that is happening incoherently and this is characterized as chaotic phenomenon. Changes are becoming less predictable and less manageable. Small differences have greatest influence upon the life of the person or on an organization. In order to cope up with the incoherent changes new organizational pattern or completely new thought has to be established. In the past complex environments were handled through a general system approach and not through controlling of managing chaos. If the unpredictable changes handled properly then this can lead to greater effectiveness within organization. The chaos approach is a mean of changing thought as well as organizational patterns to be able to operate efficiently and effectively in these fast changing circumstances. Those reflective thinkers who are interested in predictability and control the paradigm is directed at linear dynamics but if they are interested in change, variety and surprises then the paradigm is directed towards non linear dynamics and chaos. When organizations are seen as dynamic, complex and self regulating system, these improve the managers’ capability to manage change in times of perceived chaos and transition. Chaos theory explains that there is no great uniting theory that is true or valid for all ages and circumstances. When complex systems emerge, certain new concepts are used so as to clarify the phenomenon. Chaos theory tries to describe, analyse and evaluate the complexity of the system. Chaos represents the perception of the analyser of the phenomenon and chaos management could generate stability from disorders establish better investments and greater confidence in self organization and lessens the pressure of prediction and control (Fox, 2007). Work Culture of Google Basically Google has informal work culture. The founders of Google, Larry and Sergey tried to make it a fun place to work for the employees of the organisation. The main intension behind it is to provide complete freedom and an ease to think about the innovations as it has already been mentioned in the case that the employees are paid for thinking. Google Inc can be considered as the most successful search engine as well as the internet start-up in the world. Because of its precision and speed it becomes the most preferred search engine in the world in 2003. It is obvious that the business of search engines is mostly depended upon the applications of technology but apart from it Google has also focused on the recruitment policy. The main motto in this respect was not only to attract the best talents but also retain those employees. This success of this company should also be attributed to the recruitment policy also. The work procedure of a search engine company requires help of advanced technology but most importantly the human assets who will implement those technologies. Though, it is even unpronounced but the secret behind the success of Google is its organisational culture. In late 1990, during the ‘Dotcom Boom’, when the other rivals of the company experienced of 20-25% employee turnover at that time Google enjoys zero percent employee turnover. The work culture of Google becomes the legendary and it was become the icon of success among the all internet companies (ICMR, 2004). It is well known that in the field of computer applications, there is a chance of very quick changes. This is because of the dramatic improvements of the technology. It enhances the importance of staying updated and to bring changes in the work procedure of the internet companies. Google allow their employees to get updated and come up with innovative techniques, by providing complete freedom to them. The management provides free food to the employees. Most important factor is the work environment, which enables the employees to remain free from all tensions such as corporate politics, dress code and other mind diverting issues. In other words it can be said that the authority makes the environment suitable for the research work. While implementing any advanced technology, there is a greater possibility of failure. But the employees should have to take risk in order to become successful. The management permits them to take risk and proceeds towards the research. Even Google had removed their managerial hierarchies to provide the engineer free hand to work. The above discussion has proved that the work culture has a huge contribution behind the success of the company. Apart from this it has a strong relation with chaos management also. Chaos management teach the way of handling the changes and it also helps to minimize the pressure of prediction and control. The work culture of the company is supported by the management and that leads to a better organisational culture and ensure the success of the company. The case study “Googling out of control” deals with chaos management. It deals with the work culture at Google which embraces chaos and makes huge profit from them. It is the work culture that motivates the employees to work well and achieve the goals of the organization. At Google, mistakes and risk are welcomed and is taken as learning tool. It is a great debatable issue if Google’s chaos management style could ensure success for the company. In the case study it was found that the work culture of the Google is too casual and risk taking which helped it to manage chaos in order to ensure sustainability of the company. The main motive of Google has been to make innovative ideas for which the work culture was supportive. On the other hand, it has been found that the company was started as an internet search engine. However, it is not able to predict what can be the next big idea. Google is more into generating revenues through advertisement and is deviating from the primary focus which suggests that the Google way of working is unsustainable in the long run. Deviating from the main focus would invite the competitors and the sustainability may be in doubt. Recommendations Although Google attitude that is launching of the products without thinking whether it will lead to success or failure in the near future supports sustainability but then Google must also have a separate department that would deals with research and development. This department will not concentrate on the main business of the company but would deal with expansion or diversification. The main motive of such department will be to give more emphasis on the development of products and services. This can be in the form of generating new ideas through brain storming session or reverse brain storming session. Conclusion Google is the leader in search engine business and has a huge database available. It is the work culture and the attitude of the company that motivates the employees of the Google to work and to achieve the goals of the organization. It is imperative to say that if it continues to work in the similar pattern then it can sustain in the long run. He chaos which have been a hindrance in the growth of many of the companies, has been positively used by the management of the company for the success of the company. References Fox, W. Managing Organisational Behaviour. Juta and Company Ltd, 2007. Google, 2010. Google Milestones. Corporate Information. [Online] Available at: http://www.google.com/intl/en/corporate/history.html [Accessed July 27, 2010]. ICMR, 2004. So Far So Good. Googles Organizational Culture. [Online] Available at: http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Human%20Resource%20and%20Organization%20Behavior/Google%20Organizational%20Culture-Human%20Resource%20Management.htm [Accessed July 27, 2010]. Bibliography Chakraborty, A., 2005. Work Culture at Google – An Inside Story. Simple Thoughts. [Online] Available at: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/work-culture-at-google-an-inside-story/ [Accessed July 27, 2010]. Goo, S. K., 2006. Corporate Culture Breeds Innovation. Building a Googley Workforce. [Online] Available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/20/AR2006102001461.html [Accessed July 27, 2010]. Mason, W. H., No Date. Origin of Chaos Theory. Chaos Theory. [Online] Available at: http://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/chaos-theory [Accessed July 27, 2010]. Read More