Technology, Strategy and
Entrepreneurship
Discussion chapter 10
1. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of the creative
side of Google being run
as a flexible and flat
“technocracy”?
Advantages:
People tend to be more
creative in such an
environment leading to
innovative ideas
Collaboration occurs
between all levels of the
company, there is less
hierarchy which
leads to a lower threshold to
collaborate and discuss things
with your “superior”
Employees might feel
happier when they can self-
organize their work and
therefore
become more efficient.
Disadvantages:
It might be less efficient than
a more mechanistic structure
as people might be doing
the same thing at the same
time.
If there is no specific task,
employees might not be
pushed to deliver hard work
and
become lazy
2. How does Google’s culture
influence the kind of
employees it can attract and
retain?
The culture is seen as
“flexible” and “free”. This
may attract employees that are
creative
which would lead to more
innovative products and
services. As the organization
requires you
to spend 20% of your time on
innovative projects of your
own choosing you will have a
more
dynamic job than traditional
jobs. This will help to retain
employees since they can
choose
this themselves. If they want to
make a change they can do this
very easily within the
company.
3. What do you believe the
challenges are in having very
different structure and
controls for Google’s creative
side versus the other parts of
the company?
Since the structure within the
company is different
(ambidextrous organization)
the general
management has to take a lot
of variables into account. A
general decision could be
effective
in one part and ineffective in
another part. Also,
collaboration of the different
departments
could result in conflict as they
have a different work culture.
Besides this, envy could occur
since the “traditional”
department might think that
those creative guys that sit on
couches and
do not have a particular task
probably make as much money
as they.
4. Some analysts have argued
that Google’s free-form
structure and the 20 percent
time
to work on personal projects is
only possible because
Google’s prior success has
created
financial slack in the company.
Do you agree with this? Would
Google be able to
continue this management
style if it had closer
competitors?
I think you have to look from
another viewpoint. I think that
Google has had prior success
because of this free-form
structure. Therefore I think
that even if they did not have
had this
financial slack the company
would have had great success
which would lead to financial
slack in the future because of
innovative products
Technology, Strategy and Entrepreneurship
Discussion chapter 10
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the creative side of Google being run
as a flexible and flat “technocracy”?
Advantages:
People tend to be more creative in such an environment leading to innovative ideas
Collaboration occurs between all levels of the company, there is less hierarchy which
leads to a lower threshold to collaborate and discuss things with your “superior”
Employees might feel happier when they can self-organize their work and therefore
become more efficient.
Disadvantages:
It might be less efficient than a more mechanistic structure as people might be doing
the same thing at the same time.
If there is no specific task, employees might not be pushed to deliver hard work and
become lazy
2. How does Google’s culture influence the kind of employees it can attract and retain?
The culture is seen as “flexible” and “free”. This may attract employees that are creative
which would lead to more innovative products and services. As the organization requires you
to spend 20% of your time on innovative projects of your own choosing you will have a more
dynamic job than traditional jobs. This will help to retain employees since they can choose
this themselves. If they want to make a change they can do this very easily within the
company.
3. What do you believe the challenges are in having very different structure and
controls for Google’s creative side versus the other parts of the company?
Since the structure within the company is different (ambidextrous organization) the general
management has to take a lot of variables into account. A general decision could be effective
in one part and ineffective in another part. Also, collaboration of the different departments
could result in conflict as they have a different work culture. Besides this, envy could occur
since the “traditional” department might think that those creative guys that sit on couches and
do not have a particular task probably make as much money as they.
4. Some analysts have argued that Google’s free-form structure and the 20 percent time
to work on personal projects is only possible because Google’s prior success has created
financial slack in the company. Do you agree with this? Would Google be able to
continue this management style if it had closer competitors?
I think you have to look from another viewpoint. I think that Google has had prior success
because of this free-form structure. Therefore I think that even if they did not have had this
financial slack the company would have had great success which would lead to financial
slack in the future because of innovative products
