In week 4, we were introduced to the working culture and management style in Google and Lenovo. To summarize what we discussed, the “Google Way” involves giving the workers lots of freedom and incentives. These motivate the workers in an environment that encourages creativity. Lenovo, a Chinese-based company, follows an eight-men executive committee and follows a rather strict hierarchy. However, the company has been trying to “free up” the workers and incorporate Western cultures into the company, in an attempt to compete in the global stage. Their attempts have arguably been successful, steering them to becoming one of the largest manufacturers of computers and hardware around the globe.
The “Google Way” of management very much reflects on the American society, in terms of freedom. Workers work at their own pace and are allowed to dedicate 20% of their time into their own creative projects for Google. The Lenovo way also shows much about the Chinese society, which is very much known for communism. As like communism, there is a strict hierarchy in which the top management calls the shots and the workers work without questioning the decisions of the management. Lenovo however, has an executive committee made up of some “Westerners”, with the company in hope of helping the company enter the global stage. However, as Bill Amelio had experienced, his Chinese colleagues’ reluctance to speak their minds and their preference to follow orders frustrated him. As quoted from what he told Wall Street Journal in 2008, “You don’t want everyone saying, ‘yes, yes, yes’ all the time.”
Personally, I would love to work in the Google environment, as it allows me to express my creativity without boundaries. Without tight schedules to fulfill and working at my own pace, work would definitely be more enjoyable and I believe this is how quality work can truly be produced. Of course, this requires a high standard of discipline, self-discipline. Only with self-discipline can one be able to have the responsibility to complete tasks even under such comfortable and perhaps distracting situations. Free food, massages, recreation centers- all these build up to a dream workplace for everyone. While all these seem like a heaven for a working place, disadvantages include being distracted by all the temptations and end up not completing the work. This of course, leads to the sack. Also, environments would be extremely stressful as we would feel obliged to complete more tasks for Google as we are given so many incentives.
Without a doubt, the Lenovo environment would be a pleasant place to work at too. Work there would most probably be more systematic, where everything is in place and all that we need to do is complete the assigned work in the assigned period of time. Nevertheless, working environment is constrained and there is no room to express creativity. Also, workers have no say over the decisions made by the superior, and we would still have to complete the tasks no matter how unhappy we are with the situation, leading to high levels of unhappiness working for the Lenovo. However, as I had mentioned earlier, the Lenovo management also includes Western ideologies of freedom and say, which broadens the boundaries of the circle.
The Lenovo system as compared to Google’s working environment, would be less stressful as we do not face being obliged to create something as we do not feel debted towards the company without all the incentives and freedom. Work is done and over with quickly, and we simply wait for the next assigned task to arrive. On the other hand, it might be more stressful as work has to be rushed out and completed in a fixed amount of time.
Of course, Both environments have its advantages and disadvantages, just like there are always two sides to a coin. If I were to piece together the advantages of both working environments, it would be where work is structured in which there is a clear and distinct amount of work to be done, but at our own paces, where we are able to express our creativity. Of course, the incentives Google provides shouldn’t be missed, as that would be a main source of motivation for workers.
To conclude, I would love to work in the Google environment in the future as it allows me to express creativity. Being a person who believes in allowing as much creative freedom as possible, I feel it would be the best working environment for me. Nevertheless, having a structure would be good for our working environment as work is assigned and we would not have to crack our brains too hard as there is a structure to fall back on when lost. I definitely look forward to our next Socio Economic Studies tutorial!
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the point that a high standard of discipline is required to work in the Google environment. It is important to know one’s limits, strengths and weaknesses in order to give one’s best and avoid being sloppy at work. Especially in the Google working environment, it is certainly necessary for workers not being distracted by all the temptations around (great cuisines from around the world, spas, massage services etc).
ReplyDeleteIt is also great that you bring up the benefits of the Lenovo environment as compared to the Google environment. It gave me different views on how being in any of the two companies would feel like at a hypothesis stage.
However you could have pointed out how the different management styles apply the types of companies. If you were to work as a programmer you would certainly join an internet or computer software company. Perhaps a point to talk more about would be the effects of the different management types on other types of companies as I realize that most of us tend to talk only about Google and Lenovo’s working environment and not the effects of the management style on other types of companies besides computer/software-related ones.
Quek Yong Jie 3S2(20)
Dear Aik Yang, I enjoyed your blog post a lot. There are some points that I that I would like to bring out for discussion.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, whether the Lenovo system is less stressful compared to the Google’s working environment is debatable. Your argument is valid to some extent. There is less stress because there is no need to think about how to do the things, the people simply follow instructions.
However, Google actually has a good way to help their employees cope with stress. They have good facilities like swimming pool, volleyball courts, and many more. So when the staff are stressed, they can just take a break and come back more fresh and ready to charge. Also, because the company cares so much about the staff, they feel that the working place is like a second home to them.
When the employees feel good, productivity will increase and more work will be done. And when the employees get to do the work the way he wants to do it, he also feels good about it and will take ownership of the work done. So when there are problems later on, he will then do his best to solve them. He will not see the problems are other people’s problems and wait for others to solve them.
Secondly, I agree to some extent that the management style at Lenovo and Google have their own merits, as well as weaknesses. What the company needs to ask is what is it that they want from the product and their staff ?
Lenovo designs and manufactures hardware. In the IT industry, technology moves very fast. Lenovo has to think hard about whether giving autonomy to a small number of executives is enough to keep them in the race. They have to give autonomy to more employees if they expects from more innovative ideas from them.
Lastly, you mentioned that Lenovo is very successful now as they have become one of the largest manufacturers of computers and hardware. I think that this statement should be examined from two different perspectives. Lenovo is successful in terms of good profit and this is something we cannot deny. However, we also need to ask ourselves, are they leading in innovation ? To stay in the IT industry where technology moves so fast, innovation is the key to long term success. Therefore, I personally think that Lenovo’s success is only short term.
Thank you.
Alastair Pang Xian Xun 3S2(19)
I feel that your description in the first two paragraphs greatly fits the Google and Lenovo ways of management, and you did well to summarise it in those few sentences. You have also brought up a great point that I have never considered – self-discipline. When I consider the incentives, I only think of what good they would do and not how they would provide distractions, making me spend more time trying to finish my work. Working in an environment where you are given so much freedom makes self-restraint and self-discipline essential. However, I think that one who goes to Google will not feel that this is much of a problem since they also enjoy doing their work really much. The enthusiasm will prevent them from spending too much time doing things other than work.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned in your journal that Google’s working environment would be much more stressful as compared to Lenovo’s working environment since there is the obligation to work more for Google whereas in Lenovo it is routine, one assigned task after another. It seems that you described the stress in a negative way. However, I feel that Lenovo’s working environment may be more stressful considering the fact that many would want to meet their bosses’ expectations in order to work their way up through the ranks in the organisation. Google, on the other hand, will have a certain amount of stress to motivate the employees to do their work better. The stress may sometimes be hard to handle, but I feel that on the whole, stress from working in Google will be more of the “positive” stress whereas those in Lenovo tend to be more “negative” and more frustrating.
Lin Yulong (3S217)
Hi Aik Yang, I enjoyed reading your critical viewpoints towards the Google and Lenovo way of management. However, I still have some doubts and thoughts about your points.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, you mentioned that Google workers have "high standards of discipline" in their work even though they are working in a "distracting" environment. I personally feel that this motivation in work does not merely include high standards of discipline. It also consists of peer pressure. Imagine you are in a company where your employees make FULL use of the time either completing tasks or researching and creating new ideas. Won't you become motivated to compete with them as well. Furthermore, employees who have their projects voted for further developing also gains fame, and this acts an incentives to urge them to work as well. Again, imagine if you are a computer geek and is enthusiastic about innovating in the IT world, I don't think you will really be distracted by the facilities around you. These facilities mainly act as mind relaxation facilities which allow the employees to 'get a life' after spending long hours on their tasks. I feel that it is essentially necessary for Google to include such facilities in the workplace or else the workers would have complained of stress and may choose to develop and showcase their talents in other companies instead. Hence, I believe that Google makes use of these facilities and policies to create the most conducive environments for the programmers and workers, and to ensure that stay with Google and work loyally for them.
However, I do agree with you that Levono's workers are indeed less stressful as they do not face much peer pressure or the possibility of getting fired if they do not invest much time in innovating new ideas. However, I do not really like the working culture of Lenovo. As compared to Google, its policies and style of management really do look disappointing to me. Its consensus-style of management stifles creativity and thus prevented the company to improve and innovate as quickly and creatively as Google does. Furthermore, its treatment of employees does not meet Google's standards as well. Hence, I feel that little loyalty is forged between the employees and the company. These employees are working in Lenovo probably because they are used to the kind of working environment (Chinese ideologies) and perhaps the higher pay in this computer manufacturing company.
If I have a chance, I would definitely have worked in Google because it is much more exciting and the facilities and services provided are much more conducive for an employer who will be spending long hours thinking, innovating and completing tasks.