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Bachelor in Applied Psychology

BAP 22043 Behavior and Influence in Organizations

Made by:
Ummu Aina Nabilah bt Shaiful Azmi
Student ID:
201530009
Submitted to:
Dr. Samuel Chan
Topic:
Case Study on Google Company
Word Counts:
3093 words
Date of Submission:
June 30, 2016

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Table of contents
No
.
1.
2.

Topic
Introduction
Concept of organizational commitment
2.1
Google culture and benefits for

Pages
3
4

3.

employees
Individual performance
3.1
How individual performance in Google

4.

can affected other employees?

Various types of team that exist in Google
4.1
Engineering and Technology & Design

5.
6.
7.

4.2

Operations
Sales, Services and Support & Business

4.3

Strategy Operations
Marketing and Communications &

Finance
4.4
Legal, People & Facilities Operations
Impacts of empowerment
5.1
Leadership and power in Google
Conclusions
References

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13
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1. Introduction
Todays generation should be grateful when Larry Page and Sergey Brin first start up their
small little company of searching engine while still studying at Stanford University decades
ago (Brin & Page, 2012). Knew back then as BackRub, now as Google, this company has turn
from a single university project into a billion dollar company that provides everything that
people needs from small details of the meaning of a words, searching for images for school
assignment and mail to share important documents. Just name it and Google will be there to

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provide their searching engine services to fulfilled their objectives in users satisfaction value
that always be their goals and mission in build up the small giant company (Vise & Malseed,
2008; Stross, 2008).
Even so, as the quotes stated if workers does not love their job first, users will be far more
behind to use the services thus, evidently proves that behind each good telling stories on how
companies served their customers, its their employees role are the first main recipe and
foundation in making the dreams, goals and objectives that bring the best outcome and results
from the company. As if in Google, they do put their users and customers first but on how the
company creates the bond of loyalty and shows their appreciation through empowerment for
their employees suits their famous recognition for the Best Companies to Work for seven
times in past ten years (IPO Centre, 2015).

2. Concept of organizational commitment

What important for a company is the leadership in leading the company in a right way, but
despite the high authorities there is even more essential pieces for a company to build up their
empire better and it is no other than their employees loyalty and faithfulness towards the
company. This can be elaborate through the concept of organizational commitment by Allen
and Meyers three component models where they define organizational commitment as the
three types of psychological bonds that exist among the employees namely affective

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commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment (Shore & Wayne, 1993;
Jaros, 2007). From all, affective commitment is the most suitable to show on how the
employees in Google are low in their turnover rates because clearly they stay devoted to the
company because they want to. Simply, Google culture does shape their employees
commitment to the highest level through their company lifestyle in instilling fun, innovative
and creative environment just to show appreciation to their fellow employees on their
hardworking and loyalty.

2.1. Google culture and benefits for employees

No doubt for almost 2.7 millions applicants try their luck in being part of Google
communities if people keep talking that the company do provides free foods, a lot of subsidies
for everything and many other more facilities that employees can enjoy despite long work
hours for their working hour. Evidently, the rumors is true as what been stated by Kuntze and
Matulich (2010) in their research of analyzing the perks of being Googlers where even small
details have been accounted to measure the job satisfaction among the employees in the
company. In the same way, Google manage to create a very fun and unique way to enhance
the experience of user when using their services, for employees they tend to instill a college
like campus environment where the are the parts of the company that works towards changing
the world through teamwork, creativity and innovation. Ranging from their culture to create
and informal environment on dressing code or even in daily meetings until to the wide range
benefits just to make sure their employees remain their faithfulness and satisfaction in the
company. What is more to compare when even in small, tiny details are considered to make
life easy for anyone who are working in Google such as the micro efficiencies where in each
and every room are provided with every adapters or projectors mostly with high bandwidth
video conferencing that is very useful in a small but very significant way. Nifty backpacks

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complete with water is another example on the perks enjoyed by the employees as an
earthquake kit given for an extra precaution step as Google headquarters is situated in the
earthquake belt.
Corresponding on the point where Google do hold the title of the company who truly
cares about the one that work for them as Google also provided onsite children facilities due
to long hours of works for employees in which may be implemented for any workers together
with their free laundry and dry cleaning services offered in the Mountain View campus. One
other unique policy for their employees benefits is that even pets are allowed on condition
whereby it is house trained and well behaved. But most from all, as Google is the company
who hold the principle on changing the world, their enthusiasm on being environmentalism is
totally inspired as they tried full of their effort to used energy as efficient as they can. Their
green initiatives includes provided subsidies for workers who buy a hybrid car, build up solar
panels on car parking around the buildings and even in a small but big impact of using a
100% compostable cup for breakfast tea or coffee. All of this and a lot more of perks and
benefits in being the communities of Google just simply to show appreciation as they valued
their workers hard work and time on making them as a company that works towards changing
the world (Tower, 2006). Truly, as said by Sergey Brin in How Google Works (2014) as what
important is the foundation of a company not the plan as the plan is fluid but a foundation is
stable.

3. Individual performance
Even so job satisfaction mainly based on benefits and perks that is provided for each
people that work for the company, thus the bond of commitment can also be affected with
people that surround them that can surely effects the individual performance. In view of this,
the expectancy theory can be used to describe on certain behavior that is selected because an

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individual is motivated to that one particular behavior over other behaviors due to what they
expect the results of certain behavior will be (Ugah & Arua, 2011; Parijat & Bagga, 2014).
Regarding to the theory, certainly at Google individual performance thus affects others not
only in being creatively thinking but also from the attitudes points of view, when being
surrounded by bunch of brilliant communities will push you to be better. As when surrounded
by positive vibrant, will surely inculcate more fun and creative way of thinking with more
things to inspire.

3.1. How individual performance in Google can affected other employees?

Being surrounded by small teams surely will make their employees does hold
responsibility to think deeply and more innovatively in making any tasks or objects. Some
people might things when surrounded by brilliant engineer will implant the insecurities, as the
competitive environment will be distressing. But things actually do happen differently in
Google whereby once again, every each opinion of individual being heard and will not be
ignored (Google Inc., 2014). Until for some instances, even any employees with any positions
hold, if they propose an idea, just a small idea to other working engineering team, they will
make it reality. That practices not come alone or automatically but mainly as it is a culture
where everything in Google will be considered because they believe in everything you have,
share it because somehow who knows if todays it might be in your head but tomorrow
thousands of people are using it to make their life easier. This evidently shows that Google
undoubtedly a great big company yet it functions as small company where cross functional
teams will happen when people sit together to get stuff done. Collaboration that is happening
in Google is even more beautiful to be inspired where they treat everyone in the company are
all the same. Their principle on people will do great in their own field does put them on a
belief that does not matter who you are before, you are genius in your own expertise. Small

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things like this thus actually triggered some value in individual performance specifically to
always being humble and always being motivated to give ideas.
Despite on what is already being cultured in each employee in the company, there is
one other example that shows a trust on individual performances for such a big company
projects. Others company might have hierarchy charts on the most important things have to be
done by the most experienced person in charge, but once again that is not happening when
people work at Google. Even if you are a freshly graduates in the company, straight from
college, they will be assigned to do one of the most challenging coding in which will have a
very big impact on Google if the newbies do it wrongly (Burgess, n.d.). Here, clearly this big
company does give its trust on individual performance despite how many years of experience
they have or any failure they ever make before because a failure is just a bonus advantages to
gain more experience to a person. The impact on the open plan culture will affects others
positively in thinking and creating more big ideas without thinking twice either they can do it
or not as for them thinking and acting fast and then fail is better than moving slow but lose the
opportunities on being better.

4. Various types of team that exist in Google

Known widely as Google is the company that take risk as an advantages for them to go
far, thus for them to do that is by making a strong foundation in the division of works that
then separated to even more small teams in order to enhance more big ideas. But, despite
almost 2.7 million application ranging from famous university fresh graduates to even people
who have years of experience in working field, the fact is Google do only hire smart creative
to fill their field of work accordingly (Schmidt, Rosenberg & Eagle, 2014). There was once
during early years of Google when they only hire people whos in engineering major or

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specifically software engineering major but then a thought cross their decision when what
matter was not the major, but idea on making innovations for their ultimate goal, the users.
Since that, the field working in Google has been expended to nine consecutive operations or
departments starting with engineering and technology, sales, services and support, marketing
and communications, design, business strategy, finance, legal, people (known as HR in other
companies) and facilities operations (Savoia & Copeland n.d.; Copeland & Savoia, 2011).

4.1. Engineering and Technology & Design Operations

The first department is Engineering and Technology where they are responsible in
developing massive and complex system but can be used in simple way by the users. Most of
the employees in this operation are major in engineering such as software engineering,
security engineering and product engineering. This operations department stands on their
belief on creating the tools for the future to enhance experience for users. Moving to other
department which is design operations whereby they are focusing more on displaying their
unique personalities by highlighting powerful visuals that stands together in line with their
motto on focusing on users and others will follow.
4.2. Sales, Services and Support & Business Strategy Operations
Next consecutive departments is the Sales, Services and Support Operations in which the
analysts, consultant and admin are the backbone in making and turning vital client solutions
into an innovative products meanwhile searching for new business opportunities together to
expand services provided by Google. Three roles occupying the department of Business
Strategy are analyst, strategy and operations and program manager focus specifically on long
term and short term on business growth for Google. By drawing insight and
recommendations, critical planning will be execute by the department to develop more
partners for the company.

4.3. Marketing and Communications & Finance

As like the other company who have people to have insight on users needs and wants, the
Marketing and Communications departments is responsible in defining how people best
interact through the medium of communication provided by Google besides perception
shaping through global wide enhancement. Live and breathe on putting the users first on
everything, they tend to make sure Google is easy to reach as easy with a click on their
homepage. Next is the Finance department where project management, accountant and
compliance will device together innovative solutions to support Google global business for
innovative solutions.

4.4. Legal, People & Facilities Operations (100)

What are more in Google are their Legal departments where they play roles in shaping a
better future of Internet policy using innovative way to solve problems and issues regarding
law or policy violations. Know anywhere else as HR but here in Google, People operations
takes its responsibility in keeping the company going and growing while maintaining and
creating innovative way to instill positive environment around the employees. Last
department is the Facilities department whereby this operations is the backbone in making
Google dreams of green initiatives a reality meanwhile still maintain surrounding by inspire
and energize workers for a standard yet productive workplace.

5. Impacts of empowerment
While benefits, perks and performance itself are not promise to build strong bond of
loyalty among employees, according to McGregors Theory of X and Y, empowerment should
be given from the leader as a courage and motivation in terms of decision making to their

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workers by enabling them to have control on their workplace situation specifically (Mohamed
& Nor, 2013; Gannon & Boguszak, 2013). In order to do that, relevant tools, practices and
resources should be given from the authorities to create the trust among the employees that
somehow could also lead to increasing speed of a task and unwrap the creativity when
empowerment is given to the employees regarding any work given. Same practices happening
in Google where most of their projects and task are given directly to the workers even some to
the newly fresh graduates that just only have a few months and even days working experience
in such a big great company for a such complex computer coding (Achua & Lussier, 2010).
Once again, Google do considered a simple thing will lead to a very significant way that can
make the one who work for them feel easy using the work style that they are practicing
around the company.

5.1. Leadership and power in Google

In Google, their communities tend to practice the Positive Deviance where they make it
as a noun in making new, efficient ways to get a job done, as a process for a useful method in
decision-making and as a strategy in establishing new adaptable and innovative norms (Staib,
2014). Despite spreading the Positive Deviance through strong culture and commitment
through employee satisfaction, this manifestation does occur with the appearance of unique
leadership in the company. For some company, the high authorities like CEO or CEO might
only know the major problem or any major progress that is happening in a company but
seems like in Google, Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt does different things by
displaying a strong executive triad examples. They believes in shared judgments in making
major decisions while still take opinion from others as for them it can increase the momentum
for each task and projects that they are doing which is by brainstorming together not just
make it as an individual responsible. Even in such a large operation of Google, those

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executive triad will find time and meet weekly to be informed on everything that is happening
to ensure a strong front and fluidity as a leader in the company. Besides, some unique value
including independent thinking, 70-20-10 model, incentivized creativity and distributed
leadership also being emphasized by the leader as the source and empowerment for their
employees to be a better thinker and innovator for the company.
Starting on the first value emphasized by Google leaders is in enhancing independent
thinking where in every projects leaders will put full trust on the team decision on what is the
best through their own research innovations. This is when to answer why Google only hire
first class workers as they give full freedom for the employee to empower them and authorize
it in making a quality result for their projects. Moving to the next point where workers are
given the 70-20-10 time allocation guidelines as a process to manage their own task and
project for core business, projects related to core business and the remaining is for them to
pursue their interest and skills on what ever they want to do. Surprisingly, this kind of
empowerment thus gives big quality effects, as the 10% allocation time for individual interest
is actually Google 50% new products ideas come from (Google Inc, 2014). As it is not good
enough, the project that is being implemented will be rewarded, same goes to any employees
who recommended candidates for Google and they passed, the current employees will also get
rewards and incentives. Thus, it can be seen that empowerment is such a big things to be
implemented as encouragement and motivation have to be instill as time goes by because if
not the bond of loyalty will significantly declining and decreasing among workplace
communities.

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6. Conclusion
On the whole, clearly employees loyalty and satisfaction is vital in enhancing the
company mission to focus on users experience meanwhile creating Google own smart
creative within the companies. It is evidently seen that technical knowledge and business
expertise alone will not succeed if there is no creativity and innovation involve in the process
of creating big ideas on being the company that works towards changing the worlds. To
imagine the imaginable will be much more interesting when everyone opinion while leave the
practice of directly agreed without rallying on the best answers.

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Truly, based on the analysis of the small great company of Google, within a teamwork
based innovation cannot be owned but need to be allowed in optimizing for company growth
not only revenues. Despite, todays company think that failure is expensive while practicing
the decision making power only lies to few, Google obviously mirrored different things thus
proving that the company does deserve for the Best Companies to Work For award. Their
belief on thinking super fast and do things amazingly fast while taking risk as an advantage
does put them on the rank that not many company can achieve as what they already did.

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