Google's Organizational Commitment and Communication

Google's Organizational Commitment and Communication

There are many factors that could affect an organization's commitment and communication. This paper will explain how different leadership styles can affect group communication and how power can affect group and organizational communication at Google. It will also identify a motivational theory that would be effective at Google. Then it will describe the commitment of the workforce at Google and their relationship to the organization's communication.

There are many different leadership styles. Some of the leadership styles that would affect group communication at Google are: transformational, transactional, and charismatic. Transformational leaders motivate people to go beyond their own self-interests and have an extraordinary effect on people. Charismatic leaders have a vision and are willing to take personal risks to reach their vision. Transactional leaders guide people towards established goals by giving role and task requirements (Robbins & Judge, Chapter 12, 2011). Google's group communication is open and creative. Google encourages employees to come up with new ideas. So, transformational and charismatic leadership styles would be a positive influence on group communication at Google. Transactional leadership style would affect group communication at Google in a negative way.

There are two general groupings of power they are formal and personal. Formal power is centered on person's position within an organization and comes from the ability to coerce or reward, or from formal authority. Coercive power comes from fear of the damaging results from failing to conform. Reward power produces positive benefits and is the opposite of coercive power. People value someone who distributes rewards. Legitimate power or formal authority is the most common access to one or more power bases. It represents the formal authority to control and use organizational resources based on structural position in the organization. Personal power comes from a person's unique characteristics and has two bases expert power and referent power. Expert power comes from experience, special skill, or knowledge. Referent power is based on a person's personal traits. Expert and referent have a positive impact on employee's satisfaction with supervision, organizational commitment, and employee's performance (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Google believes in a flat management structure. According to Stacy Sullivan, a human-resources director and chief culture officer in Mountain View, Calif., "there is no vast hierarchy and no task to small for anyone to pitch in on" (Ransom, 2011, para. 7). Larry Page and Sergey Brin are active in the day-to-day activities at Google Inc. They welcome the employees to speak their mind and offer new innovative ideas daily. There are also weekly meetings with employees