Case Study

Facebook: Balancing Growth and Preserving Corporate Culture
Debapratim Purkayastha* and Syeda Maseeha Qumer**
This case study is about the corporate culture at Facebook Inc. (Facebook), which is considered to be one of the fastest growing companies in the world. The culture at Facebook was open and transparent with no hierarchies. The company was well-known for its ‘hip geek culture’ fostered by its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. He tried to attract the best talent in the industry by creating a fun environment wherein employees had the opportunity to work on the best projects with a sense of openness. This case discusses various aspects of its culture including the benefits and perks offered to employees. It also describes how Facebook evolved from a small company to a global corporate icon with thousands of employees. In order to meet growing business needs, Facebook opened new offices globally. However, some analysts felt that balancing growth and preserving its corporate culture was a big issue for Facebook as the company was expanding rapidly and was preparing to shift its global headquarters to a more corporate location.
Maintaining culture is one of the top priorities we have as a company… We’re trying to be really smart and learn about our growth. So we’re focused on building a few offices, but making sure they are really tied into the culture.1 – Sarah Smith, Head of Facebook’s Online Operations in Austin, in 2011. Facebook is amazing. Working here offers the best environment I have ever seen in a workplace. The job is all about cooperation, not competition. The Facebook culture, office design, and management styles all support this.2 – A Facebook Operations Engineer in Palo Alto, California, in 2010.
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Mike Swift, “Facebook Landing Team Transports Company Culture,” www.physorg.com, April 1, 2011. “Facebook – ‘Awesome Job with Great