Case Incident 2
Google and P&G Swap Employees

1.
I do not think that employee swap between companies like what Google and P&G are doing is a good idea for all companies. It may serve some benefits for Google and P&G because of their vast differences; however, I do not believe that companies with minor differences can perform this employee swap without a downfall. It is only a good idea when companies are so different that they need to experience the atmosphere of the other to truly learn their Organizational Culture, which the employees may otherwise not experience without serving the other organization. The swap of employees should be beneficial to both parties for it to be considered a good idea. The reason I say that swapping employees between similar types of organization is a bad idea is that this may lead to reduced competitive advantages between those companies. Companies with huge differences will not be able to completely adapt the culture of an opposite organization, but it will be easy for similar companies to pick up tips from the other company through employee swap and implement those tips to enhance their already similar culture without any step back.

2.
There are different ways in which culture can be transmitted from organizations to organizations. The most important methods are probably from stories, rituals, and language. Firstly, stories often circulate through organizations, containing descriptions of events about the organization’s success, rule breaking, past mistakes, and experiences. These stories can transmit organizational culture because it is easy to learn the culture of the organizations from these stories passed through employees rather than the high-end employers of the organization, making the stories more believable. Secondly, rituals can also help transmit cultures in that these repetitive activities express and reinforce the key values of the organizations. These traits can potentially be picked up by employees and these traits will eventually be transmitted. Lastly, language can also play a role in transmitting cultures between employees. “Many organizations and subunits within them use languages to help members identify with the culture, attest to their acceptance of it, and help preserve it.” Unique terms used in organizations can imply certain company traits and cultures, which can again be picked up by employees.

3.
Organizational cultures of P&G and Google are polar opposites. P&G is notoriously known for being controlled, disciplined, inflexible, and rigid. On the other hand, the organizational culture of Google is famous for its laid-back, unstandardized, free-flowing culture. Both companies had found success with its respective organizational cultures as they found the fits for its business style. However, I personally feel that the organizational culture of Google will suit me better than that of P&G. I feel like I prefer a more creative type of environment compared to a rigid style of working. I get unmotivated when I have to repeat similar work on a regular basis, which is a big part of P&G’s culture.

4.
I believe I would enjoy an employee swap with a company of an opposing organizational culture. Being exposed to such different cultures, I can learn to choose the traits that fit me the best. Moreover, I will be able to adapt better in different organizational situations if I have experiences in two extremes of the organizational culture: extremely laid-back and extremely rigid. Lastly, I can pick out benefits from each type of organizational culture and hopefully come up with a equilibrium that can best utilize and improve my company.