TUI UNIVERSITY
Module 2 Case Assignment
MGT501: Management and Organizational Behavior
Dr. Frank P. Nolan

In Module twos case assignment we will be taking a look at the mega-giant internet company Google. More specifically, I will focus on Google’s corporate values and goals concerning their employees and customers. We will then see how these values and goals translate into a combined business model which creates job satisfaction and motivates the people who work there. I will provide Google’s business philosophy which consists of ten ideals that the company operates on. Also, I will use some additional sources and personal experiences I have found online. Next, I will explain whether or not Google’s business model is one that everyone should adopt. It is working so great for them, would it work great for everyone? Lastly, I will conclude by briefly reviewing what was discussed in this assignment. Before we can understand Google’s values and goals as a business we need to know what they are. Google.com provides a list of 10 philosophies the company tries to always live by:
1. Focus on the user and all else will follow: specifically ensuring that they are ultimately there to serve “you”, the user, and not their internal goals and bottom lines.
2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well: while the company is involved in a multitude of other projects, their true bread and butter is Google search. They have one of the world’s largest research groups dedicated to solving complex problems and improving the system. Ultimately, this translates into creating more improved products such as Gmail and Google Maps.
3. Fast is better than slow: Google is devoted to making their applications as fast as possible. If you compared Google’s search site to that of Yahoo, you will notice a drastic difference. Yahoo is blogged down with numerous links, news info, and advertisements, while Google is a plain white page with a search bar. More indication that this is a very successful business model is the fact that Microsoft launch Bing to compete with Google and their homepage is very similar.
4. Democracy on the web works: the company uses its patented PageRank algorithm to analyze which sites are “voted” as the best sources of information. Additionally, Google is very involved in open source content which allows users to have input on software and test out changes. This builds an environment for programmers around the world to improve on Google’s technology. In my opinion, this concept is the exact opposite of Apple, who keeps everything in-house and is very limited on the access companies and programmers have to their systems.
5. You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer: this concept is extremely simple. In today’s fast paced world, people want technology at their fingertips and expect/need answers immediately. Google launched Android a few years ago to work towards solving this.
6. You can make money without doing evil: Google generates it revenue through online advertisement and the software which makes a company become more relevant through their searches. However, if Google didn’t have a “non-evil” policy, they could easily manipulate the software to have the highest bidders advertisements show up first. Google follows some additional guidelines for their advertising programs. First, only ads which are relevant will be shown. Second, advertising is kept simple so no flash pop-up ads are allowed. Third, all sponsored advertising is clearly identified as a “Sponsored Link”, this practice increases the integrity of the search process.
7. Theres always more information out there: Google is always working to incorporate more websites and sources into its searches to make them more accurate and relevant.
8. The need for information crosses all borders: while the company is founded in California, their mission is to provide information to all aspects of the world. This means maintaining personnel and facilities throughout the world. They are a true global force.
9. You can be serious without a suit: the thought behind this philosophy is that work should be challenging and fun at the same time. With the right work environment, culture, and motivation, your personnel are setup for overall success.
10. Great just isn’t good enough: This concept is one that should resonate with any serious business. While great is a good place to be, Google always wants to become better. I just provided the ten philosophies of Google from their website and provided a brief explanation of them. Now I want to take those values and goals and see how it translates into a business model which promotes job satisfaction and motives its people. Looking back, I think the best philosophy is number nine. It answers the question posed earlier about how the values and goals promotes job satisfaction and motivates its employees. Here is a direct quote from Google’s number nine philosophy “We put great stock in our employees–energetic, passionate people from diverse backgrounds with creative approaches to work, play and life. Our atmosphere may be casual, but as new ideas emerge in a café line, at a team meeting or at the gym, they are traded, tested and put into practice with dizzying speed–and they may be the launch pad for a new project destined for worldwide use.” The first line shows why the company has become successful with their business model. They put their people first and know that by doing that, the employees will be energized and create new ideas in all kinds of environments. In 2012, Google moved up three spots to take number one on Fortunes “Best Place to Work in the U.S.” Google was ranked number one on CNNMoney’s “100 Best Companies to Work for”. In fact, Jacob Haynes commented on this article saying “I did an internship at Google last summer and am leaning towards returning once I graduate. This article doesn't even scratch the surface of how awesome it is there.” Additionally, Google took second place in the “Best Places to Work Around the World” by businessinsider.com. To reiterate my answer to the question, by providing an exciting and intellectually friendly work environment, Google has been able to motivate its employees. This in turn has made it one of the most successful companies in the world and has enabled them to top the ranks of best place to work on multiple lists. Now that we answered the question about Google’s values and goals translating to Job satisfaction, I want to look at the question of whether or not their business model should be adopted by all companies. The simple answer is no. Google has a fantastic business model that works great for them, but it would be almost impossible for majority of the companies in the U.S., let alone the world to copy. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, in 2009, businesses with less than 500 personnel made up 99.9 percent of the total number of business in the U.S. Google has employees in the thousands and generates billions of dollars in revenue yearly. This allows them the flexibility to provide top notch benefits, fitness centers, free food, and state of the art work centers. Your local roofing company does not have the income to provide these benefits. Small business in general is struggling to provide some sort of health benefit. So while it would be great for every company to adopt Google’s business model, it’s just impossible to do. In conclusion, I provided Google’s ten philosophies which the company always tries to operate by. I gave some reasoning on why each philosophy is important, but also required for Google’s business model to be successful. I discussed how philosophy number nine is the one that sticks out to me as the most critical and promotes true job satisfaction. Next I provided some online sources which have ranked Google at or towards the top of the best places to work. I included a quote from Jacob Haynes who worked an internship at Google recently and has insight with the company. Lastly, I described why I think Google has a great business model, but this model could not be adopted by all companies.
References:
1. http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/
2. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9223554/Google_named_Best_Place_to_Work_in_U.S._by_Fortune
3. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/snapshots/1.html
4. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-25-best-places-to-work-around-the-world-2012-11?op=1
5. http://web.sba.gov/faqs/faqIndexAll.cfm?areaid=24