Google Work Culture Case Study
This study aims to provide empirical support for the relationship between organizational Google Scholar organization: How culture drives knowledge behaviors (Working Paper). . A multiple case study of large distributed organizations. 2 Your company details (if relevant). Company name. URL I allow Google to utilize this information for case studies and testimonials. I (a) grant to Google. Case study data gathered from four Finnish manufacturing companies show of positive and negative learning cycles", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol.
The breaches to act upon are identified, with the purpose of reaching an organizational culture of innovative characteristics, and some recommendations for its intervention are proposed. The assumptions on organizational culture typology are confirmed, and the importance of integrating creativity, taste for risk and willingness for entrepreneurship within organizational culture for innovation is highlighted.
Palabras clave : Organizational culture; Innovation; Organizational change; Organizational culture for innovation. Servicios Personalizados Articulo. Universidad del Valle. Sede San Fernando. Edificio Calle 4B No While innovation is not required to manage technology, technology is required to manage innovation White and Bruton, There are many more parts of the business that do not directly touch hard technology but which are required for the business to function.
Liu illustrates the importance of administrative innovation to the success of technological innovation. Rose defines innovation as the purposeful turning of a variety of tangible and intangible inputs into desirable valuable outputs for strategic application whether the application is for financial, social, or other purposes. Technologically-focused organizations are subject to rapid changes in environment and technology and the MTI and organizational structure must be aligned to accommodate them White and Bruton, There are several documented antecedents to the successful implementation of MTI in support of the strategic goals of the organization.
In order to produce the best products and services, people and technology must be integrated via highly-effective processes Addison and Haig, 20IO Rose, The continuous accumulation of small, incremental improvements from every individual in the organization leads to significant higher order innovations Spanyi, ; Scwharz, Clearly defining and empowering the owners of all processes, particularly core processes, is key to continuous improvement Spanyi, ; Scwharz, Information sharing, knowledge management, empowerment, and structures that support organizational learning and application are key to effective innovation Rose, ; White and Bruton, The structure of the organization must align with the innovation imperatives White and Bruton, Horizontal structures, collaboration, empowerment, and information sharing are critical to turbulent environments whereas vertical structures, formal systems, and task routinization are critical for stable, cost-conscious structures Daft, Process owners, mandates, and measures of success must be clearly communicated and continuously evaluated White and Bruton, ; Spanyi, Varying degrees of control and flexibility are required based on the type and amount of innovation required White and Bruton, ; Schwarz, The implementation of any complex organizational imperative requires managerial commitment and cultural unification around that imperative Carmel and Tjia, ; Vance and Paik, ; Cabrera, Cabrera, and Barajas, It is against this set of antecedents that the organization is evaluated.
The aim of the research is google work culture case study assess the overall environment for the successful management of technology and innovation in the subject organization The Division.
As a member of the organization, a fair amount of information is readily available to the researcher. The aim of the research is expressive rather than instrumental - aiming for a richer content in the context of this organization rather than extrapolation to general principles. Further, the researcher makes no claim of absolute truth but seeks to see how actual behavior compares to claimed behavior.
The above characteristics favor a constructionist ethnographic approach Easterby-Smith, However, as a member of The Division and with a stake in the outcome, the researcher must be aware of the risk of prejudice Easterby-Smith, Further, a va riety of research exists to support propositions regarding critical antecedents for establishing the environment for successful MTI. Therefore, the opportunity exists to examine the state of these antecedents objectively and correlate the results to the perceived state of the MTI.
These characteristics favor a relativist approach and survey technique Easterby-Smith, Case and survey methodologies are both acceptable for constructive and relativist forms of research Easterby-Smith, Therefore, the descriptive case information and subjective assessment are augmented with survey data with the intent of validating the case study and examining possible correlation of the perceived state of the MTI to proposed antecedents.
The survey contains structured and unstructured components to support both goals. Transparency of the research process further serves to mitigate the risk of prejudice in the research design and execution and the interpretation of results Easterby-Smith.
Appendix A provides a summary of the survey process and the stipulations applied to its implementation in the organization. The survey was implemented in softcopy as a single form in which answers were limited to defined fields. Except for items where selectable answers were provided, field values were not controlled or limited.
This freedom led to multiple formats of answers to some questions which made analysis difficult. Where answers did not conform to the intended format, the data was excluded. Demographic data related to the respondent's time, level, and role in the organization were gathered to ensure a breadth of coverage and to support attempts at correlation of perceptions to specific demographics.
To avoid leading or confusing questions, questions assessing perceptions were isolated to single ideas and avoided the use of negatives and suggestive wording. Open-ended questions were used to gather amplifying information, perceived organization imperatives, and suggestions for improvement. Two ranking questions were provided to gauge perceptions of relative importance of targets of innovation.
Organizational background Corporate and Market Context. The Corporation provides products and services primarily to government and Depart of Defense DoD customers. As such, agility, security and ethical business practices, while maintaining a focus on business performance, are cornerstones of the corporate culture and are prominently promulgated throughout the divisions.
The Corporation has selected a strategy of being the premier provider of components to larger systems and the prime integrator on small systems The Corporation annual report, The Division provides some of those components with a focus on "networking, requirements development, modeling, simulation, communications google work culture case study systems integration including sophisticated networking as well as coordinated, web-based techniques Clearly, The Division is in a technologically-focused industry.
Ensure the execution of these objectives leads to meeting the division's financial goals for google work culture case study year. This appears to be a strategy of focused differentiation wherein a narrow market is the target of specific products with a focus on premium capabilities uniqueness over low-cost.
Indeed, the company receives the majority of its contracts and revenue from a single government customer office. The competitive advantages, according to the COO, are. The Division has implemented a quality management system QMS satisfying both certifications. From the COO:. Improvement suggestions are solicited from employees via a process tool which is accessed via the Process Asset Library PAL employee webpage. The QMS applies to all aspects of the organization. The QMS is governed by a quality policy and supporting quality objectives.
Specific annual measurement objectives are created for each quality objective and results are tracked and reported monthly. Results are posted to the PAL intranet. The process architecture defines in detail the steps required of Program Management, Engineering Management, and Organizational Supportfunctionsto provide integrated operations given the requirements for certification and derived organizational process guidance.
Figure 2 illustrates the project lifecycle process.
Corporate Culture
The process can be tailored by eliminating select functions when not required see below. Additional process tailoring must be approved byQA. The process for selection of Process CCB membership is unclear.
Process-related tools are also managed by QA and maintained by members of the Finance and Controls team. Process owners are defined and listed on the PAL intranet web page. The organization has a largely product-based organization as represented in Figure I adapted from division intranet, With the exception of accounting and finance, most organizational support functions report to the COO.
Product line managers report to the VP of programs with the exception of Special Projects and Special Programs which are not responsible for specific products. Each product line has a Program Manager who reports to a Director. The products are in various stages of maturity and can be classified as follows:. All functions supporting a product report directly to that product owner with the exception of product C which, despite the organizational chart, affords google work culture case study authority to Chief Engineer C due to the size of the project.
Surveys were requested of 49 potential respondents out of members of the population. The population was categorized into level 1 individual contributor or team leadlevel 2 manager, senior team lead or engineering fellow or level 3 director and above. The table below summarizes the survey distribution and response results.
The distribution of employee levels in the response set and the requested set align fairly well with the distribution of levels in the population. A higher percentage of level 3 employees is intentionally used to establish a baseline against which to compare the responses of lower level employees for questions of strategy and competitive advantage.
The distribution of employees across functional groups is not well distributed. The distribution of employees by tenure is believed to be fairly well distributed with an average time in position of 3. However, there is insufficient data to compare this to the organization overall. The response rate of Nonetheless, the sample size is not considered sufficient to support correlation of responses to demographics. In retrospect, a larger requested set should have been used. Analysis relative to demographic values is used only to indicate possible areas of additional research.
Questions of perception google work culture case study the effectiveness, support, flexibility, and communication of various aspects of the organization's environment were assessed using a 5 part ordered categorical Likert scale. Responses were commonly ordered, bipolar, with a neutral value using "Not", "Somewhat", "Basically", "Mostly", and "Very" to describe perceptions. The discrete categories cannot be assumed to be normalized.
In retrospect the use of "Completely" rather than "Very" may have provided a normal distribution regular interval. Without a normal distribution, statistical modeling is impractical Lubke and Muthen, Thus, locational analysis median, mode is more appropriate Clason and Dormody, Finally, while several factors antecedents to the establishment of an environment conducive to effective MTI are assessed in the survey, there is no prescribed method for determining the correlation or relative weight of each factor to the perceived effectiveness of the MTI.
Thus, results are analyzed subjectively and in consideration of the findings of the case analysis. Table 3 provides the summarized results of the perception questions. Innovations Suggested and Implemented Findings Analysis. Respondents were asked to quantify the number of innovation suggestions submitted via formal and informal processes and how many of those suggestions they felt were implemented.
Respondents were also asked how many innovations they had implemented on their own or with others outside the formal processes and chain of command. Finally, employees were asked how many innovations they had not submitted. The results are provided in the table below. As a point of comparison, the reported number of innovations implemented via the formal processes for the period Dec through March is 5 The Division PAL, Several issues are noted in the analysis of the number and type of suggestions.
The survey did not ask for explanations of why innovations were suggested, not suggested, or implemented in the various ways. Because a clear definition of what constitutes an innovation was not provided, there is no way to gauge the relative complexity of the suggestions counted. What one employee considers a substantial innovation may be considered a trivial change by another and therefore not counted.
There is no measure of the reasons suggestions were not implemented or if such a feedback channel exists. Managers and google work culture case study owners tend to have access to additional information not available to individual contributors which afford them a broader view and better understanding of the potential implications of a change. Finally, there is no mechanism to determine whether a single innovation suggestion might be counted in multiple categories if, for example, an informal suggestion was rejected and then subsequently implemented manually or if a single innovation was counted by multiple employees.
The cumulative ratings for the current processes Basically, Basicallyare the lowest of any category. Some specific trends are notable. While the importance of innovation is rated highly, without exception each respondent indicated their perception of the importance was the same or higher than management's perception. Given the focus on innovation in the QMS, one would tend to think the importance has been communicated and a perceived difference between communication and action is the cause for difference in perception.
Visibility of the processes of various types of innovation may be a factor. The cumulative ratings of each category are lower than the ratings of importance. This is a general indication that there is room for improvement in the MTI. In general, this indicates the need to correct the current processes to better support the MTI. When considering the current processes, the perception of the integration of inputs people, technology, procedures to produce the best possible outputs and the perception of the flexibility of the processes to accommodate varying levels of innovation are rated the lowest.
There are likely several factors involved here. In addition, significant portions google work culture case study the programs and operations are subject to government-mandated regulations google work culture case study systems, personnel, and information security requirements. As a result, some processes or process steps are designed to ensure compliance and google work culture case study over efficiency. Further, the process allows for automatic tailoring based on project objectives and custom tailoring by the PM with QA approval.
Nonetheless, the current processes appear to be an area where internal systems and procedures should be reviewed for better integration and alternate options for tailoring based on the level of innovation required. Visibility may again google work culture case study an issue. This is an indication that the organization has taken steps to encourage an environment accepting of innovation.
The lowest rated of all items are the effective sharing of information and management of knowledge. The effective sharing of information involves open communication of information both horizontally and vertically within the organization White and Bruton, Effective information sharing is associated with improving the integration of inputs for processing into outputs.
Knowledge management goes beyond simply sharing information to include the structures, procedures, and discipline to effectively capture, interpret, and make available for ready transfer the experiential knowledge and wisdom of the organization White and Bruton, Knowledge and experience drive the effective adaptation of processes for the most effective use in specific situations.
Thus, attempts to improve information sharing and knowledge management in general should also improve the current process for innovation and will likely have positive repercussions in other areas as well. The rating of the sufficiency of resources for MTI is bi-modal, indicating a potential dichotomy of perception. As mentioned previously, the sample size is not considered sufficient to justify demographic analysis but this should be a consideration for further research.
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Despite the shortcomings mentioned above, there google work culture case study some interesting points to be gleaned from the data on suggestions. The percentages of total suggestions submitted and implemented informally or by the employee directly are significant This may be an indication that the formal processes are inefficient, overly restrictive, lack sufficient resources, or at least give the perception of these conditions such that employees avoid the formal process. However, it may also be an indication that there is an emphasis on and significant support for informal implementation.
There is evidence to indicate both statements may be true. Perceptions of the sufficiency of resources for the MTI are inconclusive but indicate further review is warranted.
The quality policy, clearly communicated regularly to all, includes a focus on innovation. The missing piece may be the clear delineation of the processes and mandates for employees with regard to suggesting, vetting, and implementing innovations and for receiving feedback from the vetting process. The rate of implementation in each category may be completely adequate but requires purposeful planning for MTI implementation and evaluation and control White and Bruton, While there is clear evaluation of the formal processes for innovation via established metrics, the guidance and assessment of less formal means for innovation are less clear.
Google's Organizational Culture
In addition, it does not appear there exist tools to support less formal innovations other than communication to the supervisor. The attributes of varying complexity and priority are associated with the concept of a portfolio approach to the MTI Schwarz, Specifically, different aspects of the operation necessitate different types of innovation and technology and thus varying levels of the MTI.
Mature products and services focus more on sustainment, incremental improvement, and google work culture case study while emerging products and processes focus more on rapid implementation of creative solutions. A plan for the application of the MTI based on the type and level required helps ensure resources are being applied according to the operational priorities and complexity of implementation and allows for different processes to be implemented as appropriate.
Associated with this is the requirement to clearly establish, communicate, and monitor the operational imperatives for changes to ensure the MTI remains properly aligned. Finally, while there is no evidence to indicate why some suggestions are not submitted at all, the fact that the numbers are lower than the submitted suggestions indicates there is a perception of some capability for implementation and that employees are not so utterly frustrated that they have stopped making suggestions at all.
The fact the number is non-trivial Results of the open-ended questions are decidedly more difficult to interpret.
This case highlights the human resource management (HR) practices at Google that are integral to the company's long-term success. The case illustrates. This study addresses the acquisition of Sealand (US company) by Maersk ( Danish company) based on a case study of its terminal in Algeciras.
Comments can be categorized and organized but differences in language and interpretation lead google work culture case study the extraction of only the most basic threads. Outside of this type of analysis, specific comments are provided for information only. With regard to personal responsibility for innovation, most respondents When asked to describe the currently defined processes and tools for MTI, many answers aligned well with the formally described processes: the quality management system and its related components.
This is a sign that, at a minimum, the existence of the quality system and the process architecture have been well communicated. There were also several that indicated no knowledge of a process. This is likely due to the lack of association of the MTI with the quality process. There google work culture case study also several descriptions of project- and team-level innovations that occur outside the formal process.
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