Organizational Behavior

Google: Mission Accomplished

Jennifer E Higbee

COM 530

Communications for Accountants

Bob Kolber

December 21, 2009

Google: Mission Accomplished

In the business world one company that is clearly visible as a leader is Google. Google is described as a company that blurs the line between leisure and work so effectively that employees are able to feel more at ease in their work environment. This practice is said to lessen the distractions employees face allowing them to perform better on the job and be more relaxed in doing so. By far the culture at Google, as well as the environment, is representative of this belief. (Conley, 2009)

A February 2009 article describes the environment at Google to include many amenities available to employees and their guests. There is a gym, laundry service, and dry cleaning service available as well as a plethora of food locations from snack stations to a full cafeteria. The cafeteria and gym are free services “to Googlers and their guests (Conley, 2009).” The renowned service available in the Googleplex, said to be an attractant for new employees, is the Massage Program. Google even provides new employees with a voucher for a free massage. (Conley, 2009)

The culture at Google fosters a relaxed atmosphere where employees can focus on their work without distraction. As Google CEO Eric Schmidt states, “The goal is to strip away everything that gets in our employees’ way. Let’s face it: programmers want to program, they don’t want to do their laundry. So we make it easy for them to do both.” (Conley, 2009) Google is one company that realizes and accommodates for reality and the fact that work is only one part of an employees’ life.

Culturally Google subscribes to beliefs promoting a human-oriented environment. The company further fosters that belief by maintaining an open work environment. This open work environment allows for open communication between employees and intends “to...