Total Quality Management at Google

Introduction

Before we go into details of the application of the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) at Google, it is important to define what TQM actually means. TQM is a management philosophy where each member of the staff is motivated to explore their capabilities to the fullest to maintain high standards in all operations in a business (Goetsch & Davis, 2014). This signifies the call for the exploration of the capabilities of the human resource with the help of organizational practices that allow the human resource flourish mentally, physically and technically. To achieve this high standard of TQM, companies must believe in their human resources and facilitate them to explore their capabilities and help them by offering safe working environment and training opportunities to them. Google is an example of a company that believe in the principles of TQM.

Benefits of using TQM

Google has benefited from the practices of TQM to a larger extent. Especially if we look at the working environment at Google, it is total compliance with the principles of Total Quality Management (Colquitt, Lepine, & Wesson, 2009, p. 66).. All the employees are free to choose their working hours. There are not mental pressures exerted on the employees to generate an environment of fear. This is a great strategy as the employees have a fresh mind always to work on the operations and tasks they are responsible for. Google encourages their employees to come up with innovative ideas that helps the organization grow rapidly.

One of the TQM principle is to engage all the employees in the organizational decision making process. Google has done exactly the same. All the employees enjoy some power in the organizational decision making process (Jarrod, 2012). Google has a decentralized organizational structure that facilitates creativity and loyalty from its employees. This strategy has also been adopted by Facebook and Twitter and has contributed to their success as well.

Negative impacts of TQM

Though we can argue that the way that the office of Google is setup has a greater impact on the way their employees live a luxury life. Their headquarter based in California, USA is an example of a best place to work in as it has all the luxuries a human can imagine from any kind of food you like to eat to luxury electric cars that you can drive free of cost (“Photos: Life in the Googleplex – Photo Essays”, 2016). But there are reservations to this strategy of Google. The employees of Google are encouraged with all these facilities to limit their lives to the Google office only. Humans go out to see other people and make new relations when they need life things. In my opinion the Google employees would not have a greater opportunity to be socially engaged with the outside people as they do not get more opportunities to visit the outside world.

The other negative impact that might exist at Google is due to their decision making structure, in decentralized management system, it is comparatively hard to get a consensus on a decision regarding business operations and many people have to give their input that could give rise to conflicts rather than consensus.

Steps to identify its management system by Google

Google has a unique management system that they have developed over time. Google identify themselves with innovation and creativity. Google is a company that is based on the identification of its weaknesses instead of pushing them under the carpet. Google has a proper communication system in place where there is no hierarchy of command and anyone can just talk to anyone.

Google is based on getting dreams into reality Google’s CEO, Larry Page once said that “you never lose a dream. It just incubates as a hobby” (McPherson, 2010). This is how they identify their management style with. The let their employees explore their dreams and bring them into reality and then they convert it to a money machine.

Recommendations for change in system

In my opinion Google needs to encourage their employees go out of their campus and interact with new people. This is how the innovation process at Google will never seize to exist. As I earlier said that there are no fix working hours at Google. I believe that this is not a good strategy and they must have fixed working hours for their employees. In the absence of fixed working hours the employees might not be able to come out of a working mind set as they are not sure when they are going to get on with their tasks allocated to them.

Ethical aspects of management system at Google

Google to a larger extent ensures to develop and install a management system that does not exploit their employees. They have been facilitating their employees and paying them more that they would have imagined. Their employees get the necessary trainings they need. Also as mentioned earlier, the management system is decentralized meaning there is no boss to bug an employee. Google encourages new ideas from its employees and they have installed a system in which it is easy to get your idea reach to the top management who can help in giving it a practical shape.

Conclusion

Google as a company has evolved rapidly. The main reason behind this rapid growth is hidden in the way they have created a management system that provides their employees to feel free to be innovative. The employees feel recognized for the services they offer at Google and hence they strive to perform their best that help Google become what it is today.