Hyperculture as a Safeguard in a Knowledge-Intensive and Fast-Changing Firm - The Case of Google
(2018) BUSN49 20181Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- While contemporary research on managerial work in regard to normative control is extensive, there are fewer insights into employees’ perceptions. This study aims to discover knowledge workers’ understandings and perceptions of a strong and distinctive organizational culture. Comparing bold claims of an organizational culture with the imperfect reality attempts to sense the effects of normative control on employees in a knowledge-intensive and fast-growing firm.
Research Question
● How do knowledge workers on the business side of a tech-company perceive a strong organizational culture and normative control attempts?
● How do normative control mechanisms play out in a knowledge-intensive and fast-growing firm?
● How are employees... (More) - While contemporary research on managerial work in regard to normative control is extensive, there are fewer insights into employees’ perceptions. This study aims to discover knowledge workers’ understandings and perceptions of a strong and distinctive organizational culture. Comparing bold claims of an organizational culture with the imperfect reality attempts to sense the effects of normative control on employees in a knowledge-intensive and fast-growing firm.
Research Question
● How do knowledge workers on the business side of a tech-company perceive a strong organizational culture and normative control attempts?
● How do normative control mechanisms play out in a knowledge-intensive and fast-growing firm?
● How are employees influenced by norms and values causing misalignments between the crafted ideals and the organizational reality?
Method
This research centers an abductive, hermeneutic approach in interpretive research traditions. A case study of Google based on primary and secondary sources is conducted. The empirical material was gathered in 12 qualitative, in-depth interviews.
Findings
A comparison of a crafted perfect world to the imperfect reality shows that these expectably misalign. However, Googlers seem to marginalize misalignments by adhering to and reproducing the ideals of a perfect world. The authors argue that this works as a normative control mechanism and creates a hyperculture. A strong commitment and desire to reproduce these perfectly crafted ideals prevent employees from experiencing tensions and frictions and creates a hyperculture.
Contribution
The study facilitates a better understanding of normative control mechanisms based on knowledge workers’ understandings and perceptions. The provided analysis contributes to the discussion on control attempts suitable for knowledge-intensive and fast-changing firms. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/8945935
- author
- Reimer, Frederike LU and Spelsberg, Alexander Nicolas LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN49 20181
- year
- 2018
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- Normative Control Organizational Culture Knowledge-Intensive Firm Google Hyperculture
- language
- English
- id
- 8945935
- date added to LUP
- 2018-06-19 10:57:55
- date last changed
- 2018-06-19 10:57:55
@misc{8945935,
abstract = {{While contemporary research on managerial work in regard to normative control is extensive, there are fewer insights into employees’ perceptions. This study aims to discover knowledge workers’ understandings and perceptions of a strong and distinctive organizational culture. Comparing bold claims of an organizational culture with the imperfect reality attempts to sense the effects of normative control on employees in a knowledge-intensive and fast-growing firm.
Research Question
● How do knowledge workers on the business side of a tech-company perceive a strong organizational culture and normative control attempts?
● How do normative control mechanisms play out in a knowledge-intensive and fast-growing firm?
● How are employees influenced by norms and values causing misalignments between the crafted ideals and the organizational reality?
Method
This research centers an abductive, hermeneutic approach in interpretive research traditions. A case study of Google based on primary and secondary sources is conducted. The empirical material was gathered in 12 qualitative, in-depth interviews.
Findings
A comparison of a crafted perfect world to the imperfect reality shows that these expectably misalign. However, Googlers seem to marginalize misalignments by adhering to and reproducing the ideals of a perfect world. The authors argue that this works as a normative control mechanism and creates a hyperculture. A strong commitment and desire to reproduce these perfectly crafted ideals prevent employees from experiencing tensions and frictions and creates a hyperculture.
Contribution
The study facilitates a better understanding of normative control mechanisms based on knowledge workers’ understandings and perceptions. The provided analysis contributes to the discussion on control attempts suitable for knowledge-intensive and fast-changing firms.}},
author = {{Reimer, Frederike and Spelsberg, Alexander Nicolas}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Hyperculture as a Safeguard in a Knowledge-Intensive and Fast-Changing Firm - The Case of Google}},
year = {{2018}},
}