CUEGIS Essay - Change Corp
CUEGIS Essay - Change Corp
CUEGIS Essay - Change Corp
With reference to the organization of your choice, discuss how change influences organizational
culture?
Netflix Inc. is an American production company and online streaming platform; it is a public
limited company which was founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings in California. Netflix initially began as
an on-demand DVD shipping service but then moved on to an online subscription based streaming
service. Currently, it one of the best OTT media services that offers a range of movies and TV shows
for customers to watch on demand. It is the largest company and one of the major competitors that
specializes in the entertainment industry. Organizational culture is the collection of values,
expectations, and practices that guide and inform the actions of all team members. Netflix believes
in creating a culture that puts people before process. Organizational change is when a company
changes its marketing, operations, and strategies to adapt to market changes.
Over the years Netflix has diverted from the norms of traditional Human Resource
Management from which many unique features of their organizational culture have emerged. Like
any other company, Netflix values integrity, excellence, respect and expect their employees to be
collaborative with each other. Under the companies ‘Real Values’ they list the following points as
what is special about their corporate culture. Netflix encourages independent decision-making by
employees. They openly broadly, and deliberately share information. All the employees are
extraordinarily candid with each other. Netflix only retains their highly effective people and finally as
a company they avoid rules or rigidity. These points for Netflix’s organizational culture would have
developed from years of change.
Change strengthens the underlying values of an organization’s culture which makes the
members likely to accept the change. Values are a fundamental element of organizational culture.
Netflix’s cultural values that they have adopted over the years drives the organizational performance
and employee productivity but also promote collaboration. “Our version of the great workplace is a
dream team in pursuit of ambitious common goals, for which we spend heavily. It is on such a team
that you learn the most, perform your best work, improve the fastest, and have the most fun.” Says
the CEO of Netflix, Reed Hastings. Netflix has succeeded not only in implementing a high-performing
culture, but also in successfully retaining top talent, which is why today Netflix remains one of the
biggest technology companies with the best organizational culture.
Several years ago, Netflix changed its performance management strategies by replacing
annual performance evaluations with a 360 degree review process. With this new structure,
employees are advised by their colleagues, subordinates and superiors on what they should stop
doing, start doing, or continue doing, it is a collaborative effort to improve each and every
employee’s performance and work style. Netflix uses their values to recognise and reward great
employees. Those who embed these values into their professional lives are more likely to receive a
promotion, and many employees recognise the immense worth of imbibing these values in their
personal lives. “The environment encourages you to be a better version of yourself, which is far from
the case in many places and often the opposite of that.” Says a Senior Software Engineer at Netflix.
It’s intricate organizational culture attracts applicants to apply to Netflix and secure jobs there.
Netflix’s organizational culture sheds positive light on its brand image and deems it the best in terms
of innovation as well. Netflix’s culture runs on giving both freedom and responsibility to the
employees, as they give them autonomy with enough trust.
In conclusion, organizational change has influenced Netflix’s corporate culture over the years
giving it immense value while making the foundations of the company stronger as well as improving
organizational performance.