In this chapter, you will learn about managing the business. After you have read Chapter 5, please use the topic below as a starting point for class discussions, but please feel free to generate and initiate your own topics, including any questions or comment you may have for the concepts and content of this chapter.
At a minimum for every chapter, you need to submit at least one
primary discussion posting(s) in response to the instructors topic or a
new topic initiated by another student. You also need to submit at
least one secondary posting(s) commenting on other students
postings. Please note that initiating a new topic is classified as a
primary posting. In the subject line of your posting, please indicate
whether it is primary, i.e. initiating a new topic, responding to the
instructors topic or to a new topic initiated by another student, or
secondary, i.e. commenting on other students postings.
question:
1. Please read the chapter-opening case Alphabet Soup on page 143 and answer the following questions: How would you describe the corporate culture at Google? What management skills do think would make you a successful manager at Google? What business strategy is going to keep Google competitive for future growth?
replies:
PRIMARY RESPONSE TO INSTRUCTOR
The corporate culture at google is severely different compared to most corporations or any other company for that matter. They have many workers with the addition to having a flexible time for said employees. They are known to be good to their employees and flexible with them, even if it is regarding time or workplace. One of the main components of their work culture is how google makes the environment fun for the workers. This is especially helpful when it comes to those who work weekends or long hours. A couple of factors to consider would be trust when it comes to employer to employee relationships, or collaboration between people.
While Google sounds like a great place to work at, which im sure it is, it is probably strict when it comes to hiring people. Google seems like a company that would choose their employees carefully. I would think many management skills would be needed along with most importantly, experience and how long you have been experienced. I think the most noteworthy management skills needed are but not limited to; Communication, Technical Skills, Productivity, Honesty, Creativity, Etc.
Currently where Google stands it is highly ahead of its competitors. When it comes to their strategy approach they are good at continuing what they are are doing. Besides the improvements they make to their web services, they must also improve their products. Such examples would be the Chromebook, Google Home, and ChromeCast. While they are ahead in the online services, their products are need working. Google Home is behind its competitors when compared to Amazons Alexa/Echo, ChromeCast is behind the more popular ROKU or AppleTV. Chromebook is definitely competing however, cheap and efficient but still needs work as the OS is a little behind.
The main strategies that have been working for them is capturing their audiences attention and or innovation. The promotion of both has greatly increased their companies growth, stock, and usership. As we see they are doing great in what they originally excel at. They have been trying to branch out to other products such as electronics which is good for their company but still needs improvement, even though their execution of said products have been exceptional.
Primary Post- Reply to Instructor
1. I would describe Googles corporate culture as laid-back. They provide an environment that makes its employees fell comfortable. Which in turn gets and keeps the creative juices flowing. One minute youre in a board meeting, the next you could be playing ping-pong or taking a nap.
2. I think one would need to adapt a passive and participative management style. So the skills one would need would be, be a good coach, build up your team, dont boss around, productive, show interest in your team, and be a good communicator.
3. The business strategy that I think will keep Google growing would be its infrastructure. According to information provided by Google on their data centers page, most of their locations cost between $300-600 million to build and equip, and a 2011 article from Data Center Knowledge reported that Google was probably using somewhere around 900,000 servers. Googles massive operations uses .01% of the entire worlds electricity. Googles data centers are incredibly efficient as they use less than 1% of the power used by data centers worldwide.
