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...