Organization and Management at Google

After my last post I've taken some time to reflect on the structure of Google as a creative company. Its interesting to look back to our discussion of the organization and management of the CCI's in lecture and seminar in the first term and apply those theories to what I've observed here at Google.

Much of the team organization at Google supports Chris Bilton's work on the CCI's and his concept of 'Release and Control'. He has argued that managers are rejecting control and hierarchy for simpler individualized projects and ways of working - what he refers to as 'soft control'. The idea is that employees are more productive in a laissez-fare workplace. Although some control is still inevitable, managers are encouraged to motivate their employees by giving them the freedom of flexibility and fostering creativity. This change in management styles is evident in every aspect of Google. The entire company is project-driven: teams are put in place on one project - for instance our Zeitgeist event coming up in May has 3 people from events, 3 from marketing, 2 from sales, etc. They will work on this project through its completion, and then be assigned to a new project by their manager. This form of working encourages teams to work together and focus on one unified goal.

In addition to the project-based aspect of Google, the working environment also encourages a laid-back atmosphere. The offices are fun and interactive - a boat sits in the middle of a huge atrium on the 4th floor with trees, deck chairs, and massage chairs. A full sized double-decker London bus sits on the 3rd floor. Employees are encouraged to take their laptops along to relax and work in these spaces in between meetings. And even the fact that every employee has a laptop is a testament to Google's commitment to mobility, flexibility and creativity. We can work from home, from another country, or from an event just as easily as we can from our assigned desks (Bilton, 2007).