Google_Case_Study

Case Study - Successful Teamwork in Business: Google Google. This may just be the most popular term in Internet jargon. Google’s brand has become so universally recognizable that it has become a verb. For example, someone asks “Hey what does that word mean' “. The answer is “I don’t know, google it”. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who met while working on a doctorate research project at Stanford University, created Google. It is based on the simple idea that the web can be viewed as a series of interconnected links, and its structure can be portrayed by a giant and complex mathematical graph. Google’s search algorithm is based on the idea of citations (Battelle, 2005). Every research study, college thesis or project is a derivative work that incorporates the works of other pieces and these works are often “cited” in a references page. Google’s page ranking system is based on the idea of citations. The more cited an article or link is, the higher its rank is. Google’s mission is based on the very fundamentals of collaborative teamwork. Its mission is to “to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.” (Google, 2009) At Google it is all about collecting data and displaying information. Their motto is “the more you know the more certain decisions are going to be”. Their management structure is based on individual silos and layers of management that make for a flatter, networked structure where the guy with the best data wins. Its management is based on the principles of collective leadership. It is known as a matrix, or horizontal, management system as opposed to the vertical management system prevalent in most organizations today. Power of position accounts for very little in such a system, and leadership is based more on influence and expertise. It is a flexible system where an individual’s creative pedigree is given the scope and freedom to come to the forefront. It offers the leaders the opportunity to work with a group of talented, but not necessarily similar-minded, peers to create goals and objectives to take the organization forward. It is a process that focuses on the team, looks to build collective strengths, and relies more on a system than individuals. Google continually releases products with the idea of collaborative teamwork at the forefront of all its business decisions. Many of its products and solutions are open-source, i.e. the underlying source code for each of these technologies is made public knowledge and it releases APIs (Application Programming Interface) and Software Development toolkits so developers can start creating applications that hook into Google’s products. For example, one can create a web site and integrate Google Maps in their website because they now have the ability to plug Google Maps source code into their own using the API Developer Toolkit. Their products are cross-platform, that is it can work across a number of Operating Systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux backed by IBM, Sun Java’s Solaris, and Apple’s Mac OSX. Other such collaborative initiatives include Google Wave, which is in beta testing currently, and is hyped as the one product that will change the face of real-time collaborative journalism. A number of other factors responsible for Google’s success are based on the principles of teamwork. Along with its innovative approach to page ranking, Google is also a purpose-built hardware company. It builds servers with components bought directly from manufacturers (VentureBlog, 2009) It works in tandem with these manufactures and indulges in partnerships with them to create long-term strategies on breaking into the server computing space and other markets. It allows for user input and constantly engages its users in forums and seminars about new products. Any time a new product comes out to the market, it encourages beta testing by a select number of users to test defects and indentify areas of improvement. Optimizing the user experience dives its business decisions. It believes the happier its end-users are the more profit can be earned. Small and tightly focused teams tackle many of its decisions. In conclusion, Google’s ongoing success is based directly on the statutes of teamwork and it is easy to se the role good teamwork has played in its success. Good teamwork is very important because a project is comprised of a series of tasks and these tasks can be attacked by hearing multiple viewpoints and coming out with the best possible solution for each scenario – teamwork allows this to happen as an individual’s thought process and capability can be limited in its flexibility. Therefore, good teamwork has made Google an unquestionable leader in the mark and has no direct competition. References 1. Google (2009). Corporate Information and Company Overview. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/corporate/ 2. VentureBlog (2009). 4 Keys to Google’s Success. Retrieved from http://ventureblog.com/articles/2003/05/4_keys_to_googl.php 3. Battelle, J (August 2005) for Wired magazine. The Birth of Google. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.08/battelle.html'pg=2&topic=battelle&topic_set=