Structure and Culture

Assignment Brief

Assignment Title: Assessment 1 – Structure and Culture

Learning Outcomes tested (from module syllabus)

1. Coherently analyse the relationship between structure, culture, people and organisational performance;
2. Identify the essential nature of managerial work (in terms of both functions and processes), communicate the role of leadership, and furthermore, explain the variables that determine effective management and leadership
3. Evaluate the behavioural approach to management, through understanding the factors that affect differences in individual behaviour.

Assessment Criteria To achieve each outcome a student must demonstrate the ability to:

1. Identify an organisation.
2. Write a carefully planned and structured 2000 word management report that analyses the relationships between organisational culture, people and organisational performance.

Task

Write a 2000 word essay that describes the structure and culture of an organisation you have studied this semester. Analyse how these factors contribute to the organisations performance. Your essay should refer to relevant theories and models of organisational design and culture.

NOTE: The guidance offered below is linked to the five common assessment criteria overleaf.

1. Research-informed Literature Your work must be informed and supported by scholarly material that is relevant to and focused on the task(s) set. You should provide evidence that you have accessed a wide range of sources, which may be academic, governmental and industrial; these sources may include academic journal articles, textbooks, current news articles, organisational documents, and websites. You should consider the credibility of your sources; academic journals are normally highly credible sources while websites require careful consideration/selection and should be used sparingly. Any sources you use should be current and up-to-date, mostly published within the last five years or so, though seminal/important works in the field may be older. You must provide evidence of your research/own reading throughout your work, using in-text citations in the main body of your work and a reference list that is alphabetical at the end of your work. Please use the Harvard referencing system.
2. Knowledge and Understanding of Subject Your work must demonstrate the growing extent of your knowledge and understanding of concepts and underlying principles associated with the subject area. Knowledge relates to the facts, information and skills you have acquired through your learning. You demonstrate your understanding by interpreting the meaning of the facts and information (knowledge). This means that you need to select and include in your work the concepts, techniques, models, theories, etc. appropriate to the task(s) set. You should be able to explain the theories, concepts, etc. meaningfully to show your understanding. Your mark/grade will also depend upon the extent to which you demonstrate your knowledge and understanding; ideally each should be complete and detailed, with comprehensive coverage.
3. Analysis Your work must contain evidence of logical, analytical thinking, evaluation and synthesis. For example, to examine and break information down into parts, make inferences, compile, compare and contrast information. This means not just describing what! But also justifying: Why? How? When? Who? Where? At all times, you must provide justification for your arguments and judgements. Evidence that you have reflected upon the ideas of others within the subject area is crucial to you providing a reasoned and informed debate within your work. Furthermore, you should provide evidence that you are able to make sound judgements and convincing arguments using data and concepts. Sound, valid conclusions are necessary and must be derived from the content of your work. There should be no new information presented within your conclusion. Where relevant, alternative solutions and recommendations may be proposed.
4. Practical Application and Deployment You should be able to demonstrate how the subject-related concepts and ideas relate to real world situations or a particular context. How do they work in practice? You will deploy models, methods, techniques, and/or theories, in that context, to assess current situations, perhaps to formulate plans or solutions to solve problems, some of which may be innovative and creative. This is likely to involve, for instance, the use of real world examples and cases, the application of a model within an organisation and/or benchmarking one organisation against others based on stated criteria. You should show awareness of the limitations of concepts and theories when applied in particular contexts.
5. Skills for Professional Practice Your work must provide evidence of the attributes expected in professional practice. This includes demonstrating your individual initiative and/or collaborative working. You must communicate effectively in a suitable format, which includes written and oral presentation. Work should be coherent and well structured in presentation and organisation. Specific to this assignment: Business report format with a clear title, any illustrations, images (captioned, numbered) in an appendix. Essential Resources:
   • Resources listed on in the module descriptor and course handbook, including textbooks / references
   • Moodle
   • The student handbook

The assignment should also be:

1. Written in suitable Academic English using an appropriate business style and tone.
2. Focussed on the tasks set in the assignment only.
3. Identifiable by name or Student ID number on a cover sheet and including references/bibliography, using UWTSD Harvard referencing style throughout.
4. Researched using reliable and relevant sources of information. Care should be taken with the organisational and academic research e.g. organisational literature, academic books, and peer reviewed journals.

Sample Answer

Organisational Structure and Culture: An Analysis of Google’s Performance

Introduction

Organisational success is often closely linked to two important internal elements: structure and culture. These elements shape how a company operates, how employees behave, and how the organisation performs in competitive environments. This essay examines Google (Alphabet Inc.), one of the world’s most innovative technology companies, focusing on its organisational structure and culture. It analyses how these factors influence people and performance using relevant theories and models from organisational behaviour and management studies.

Google provides an ideal case for this analysis due to its rapid growth, global presence, and reputation for creativity and employee satisfaction. Its structure and culture have been widely studied for their role in fostering innovation, retaining talent, and achieving high performance. The discussion begins with an overview of Google’s structure, followed by a review of its culture, and then explores the relationship between these elements and the company’s organisational performance.

Organisational Structure of Google

An organisational structure refers to how roles, responsibilities, and authority are distributed within a company. It outlines reporting lines, communication channels, and decision-making processes. Google’s structure has evolved over time, but it is best described as a matrix structure with elements of functional and divisional structures, combined with a relatively flat hierarchy.

In a matrix structure, employees report to multiple managers, typically both a functional manager (e.g., in engineering or marketing) and a product manager. At Google, this structure allows employees to work on multiple projects simultaneously and facilitates collaboration across teams. According to Robbins and Coulter (2018), matrix structures are useful in complex and dynamic environments, where innovation and flexibility are essential.

Google’s structure became more complex in 2015 when it was restructured under a holding company called Alphabet Inc. Alphabet acts as the parent company for Google and several other subsidiaries, including Waymo (self-driving cars) and Verily (life sciences). Within Google itself, there are multiple divisions, such as Search, Android, and YouTube, each with a certain degree of autonomy.

Despite its size, Google maintains a flat organisational hierarchy, where the distance between top leadership and employees is minimised. This structure supports open communication, quick decision-making, and encourages employee initiative. According to Mintzberg’s (1980) organisational configurations, Google’s structure can be seen as a blend of adhocracy and divisionalised form, where innovation and decentralisation are encouraged.

Impact on Organisational Performance

Google’s structure supports high performance by promoting collaboration, innovation, and efficiency. The matrix system allows teams to be dynamic and responsive, while the flat hierarchy reduces bureaucratic delays. This enables Google to launch products rapidly and adapt to market changes. For example, the swift development of products like Google Meet during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates the effectiveness of its flexible structure.

However, there are challenges. Matrix structures can lead to confusion in authority and conflicting priorities between managers. Employees may also experience pressure from competing demands. Google addresses these issues by fostering a strong organisational culture, which helps align goals and values across the company.

Organisational Culture at Google

Organisational culture is the set of shared values, beliefs, norms, and practices that shape employee behaviour and organisational identity. Google’s culture is often described as innovative, open, and employee-centred. According to Schein’s (2010) model of organisational culture, there are three levels of culture: artifacts (visible symbols and behaviours), espoused values (stated beliefs), and basic assumptions (unspoken values).

At Google, artifacts include open office designs, colourful workspaces, and perks such as free meals and on-site wellness services. These reflect a culture that values comfort, creativity, and work-life balance. The company’s espoused values include “focus on the user,” “do the right thing,” and “you can be serious without a suit.” These values promote customer focus, ethical behaviour, and a relaxed but productive work environment.

Basic assumptions at Google centre around innovation, risk-taking, and employee empowerment. Employees are encouraged to challenge the status quo and experiment with new ideas. One famous example is Google’s “20% time” policy, where employees could use part of their time on projects of their own interest. This led to the creation of products like Gmail and Google News.

According to Cameron and Quinn’s (2011) Competing Values Framework (CVF), Google’s culture aligns with the adhocracy culture, which prioritises innovation, adaptability, and growth. This type of culture is effective in industries where technology and customer demands change rapidly.

Impact on Organisational Performance

Google’s culture is a key driver of its strong performance and global success. It enhances employee motivation, creativity, and job satisfaction. The company consistently ranks highly on “best places to work” lists and enjoys low turnover rates in an industry known for high competition for talent. The culture also supports continuous innovation, helping Google maintain leadership in digital services.

However, cultural challenges have emerged. As Google has grown, maintaining its original startup culture has become difficult. Issues such as employee activism, concerns about diversity and inclusion, and debates over ethical use of technology (e.g., AI in defence projects) have tested the alignment between Google’s values and its business decisions.

Google has responded by investing in diversity programmes, ethical review panels, and leadership communication. These efforts aim to preserve its innovative culture while addressing new social responsibilities.

Continued...