Employees as Brands: The Case of Google
written by Deepti Srikanth, fl. 2009 (Hyderabad, Telangana: IBS Case Development Centre, 2009, originally published 2009), 16 page(s)
Details
- Abstract / Summary
- This case is written primarily to raise an interesting argument over a simple, yet, thought-provoking concept – how can human resources be leveraged as a source of competitive advantage? Illustrated through the example of Google, this case raises many intriguing issues. In a span of a decade, Google has emerged as a technological powerhouse with two extraordinary innovations, 'search' and 'adwords', to its credit. The company attributes this enviable rise to glory to its most valued assets – the Google employees. Since its inception, the company has constantly hired only the best talent in the industry, preferring creativity to work experience. Striving to attract and retain bright and inspiring employees, Google focused on motivating its employees by creating a challenging yet fun-filled work environment coupled with a wide array of perks ranging from free food and a gym to employee stock options. Additionally to foster innovation, Google has adopted the '70/20/10' model, to encourage Googlers to spend 20% of their work time on a project of their choice. These efforts paid off and Google emerged as the most sought after place to work for two consecutive years (2007 and 2008). However, can a company that has focused on small teams and individual interaction with all employees cope up with the same when its meteoric climb to success has captured the interest of many competitors? The appreciation of Google's achievements has been accompanied by increasing apprehensions about the long-term sustainability of Google's informal and fun-filled culture. Whether Google's success is a result of its much hyped work culture or vice versa, continues to be an unresolved enigma.
- Field of Interest
- Business & Economics
- Author
- Deepti Srikanth, fl. 2009
- Copyright Message
- Copyright © 2009 by IBS Center for Management Research
- Content Type
- Case study
- Duration
- 0 sec
- Format
- Text
- Original Publication Date
- 2009
- Page Count
- 16
- Publication Year
- 2009
- Publisher
- IBS Case Development Centre
- Place Published / Released
- Hyderabad, Telangana
- Subject
- Business & Economics, Social Sciences, Human Resource Management, Employee benefits, Work environment, Job satisfaction, Branding (Marketing), Internet Publishing and Broadcasting and Web Search Portals, Gerenciamento de Recursos Humanos, Gestión de Recursos Humanos, United States of America, USA, US of A, America, Estados Unidos, Google, United States, Training & Development
- Keywords and Translated Subjects
- Gerenciamento de Recursos Humanos, Gestión de Recursos Humanos, United States of America, USA, US of A, America, Estados Unidos