Organizational Culture and Communication

A company has values that it holds as a key to operations and attempts to infuse into the organization’s culture. The espoused values of the company are those provided by the organization’s philosophy, mission, vision, and values statements. These espoused values can either be achieved or lost in the way the company does business. Communications play a large role in sharing these values. Google is an excellent example of this concept in both its communications and organizational culture.

Google, a web search company, has espoused values of being a large company with the atmosphere of a small company. “At lunchtime, almost everyone eats in the office café, sitting at whatever table has an opening and enjoying conversations with Googlers from different teams” (Google, 2010, ¶1). The company’s mission is to organize the world’s information, but it values doing so in an environment where employees are respected by management. The espoused values promote a feeling of family among employees in which each family member has a chance to speak his or her thoughts. The organization values innovation and creativeness.

This culture is how the company operates with employees, but the enacted values are not necessarily in line with the espoused values. The company does treat its employees like family but some of the actions the company takes can provide the perception that Google is not run with the small company feel. The organization is known for acquisitions of smaller companies that have innovative ideas not completely developed. “. . . Google's acquisitive nature suggests it's actually a lot more like that other American tech giant, Microsoft, than a new breed of company” (Anonymous, 2009, 14). This method of business does not align with Google’s espoused values because business is conducted in a different way than the company’s values suggest.

This is why communications plays a role in the company’s culture. Although