Abstract
Perceptions often play a very significant role in determining the overall performance of an organization. Due to their enormous influence on performance, they tend to exhibit more of interaction levels of employees and their management as well as determine – to a greater extent – the culture of an organization. Indeed, it has been observed that perceptions could be a great channel through which the study of employee motivation can be achieved. Further, motivation in a company can serve as a starting point to understanding employee, as well as leadership perceptions. The research seeks to get perceptions of employees at Google, Inc. In finding the perceptions of Google’s employees, one would be in a better position to understand the company’s culture, values and beliefs that are thought to be the driving forces to its current robust growth and success. Possible perceptions that may exist at Google include: being great does not mean good enough; one can be serious without a suit; open culture serves all; interaction is the heart of innovation; and ability supersedes experience. These are just some of the perceptions that may exist at Google possibly leading to what is currently seen in the company’s and employees’ success levels. Before undertaking the actual data collection and subsequent analysis, detailed background information on the company will be provided in order to better understand its corporate culture, the company’s beliefs and values, and things which employees value most about the company. A descriptive text will also be included regarding diverse literature available on the various methods of research. At this point, the paper will concentrate on the main research methods present in various fields of study. These include qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Finally, the paper will conclude by presenting the actual data collection techniques, findings and analysis of the company.
Keywords: qualitative, quantitative, Google, perceptions, data collection, analysis
Google is global technological company that was founded in 1998 by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Initially, the company was started as a search engine which proved to be more superior to other search engines that existed at the time. Due to its power and efficiency, the search engine gained a positive reputation in a record time, putting it in the track for world recognition. As at now, Google has diversified its portfolio to offer more innovative products and services in the technology sector that remains largely unexploited. The company’s continued innovativeness has served to prove its worth in this sector as it continues to rake in billions in total revenues.
Google provides a variety of products and services – beyond the normal search - for both individuals and businesses. For instance, with the launch of their latest technologies – from search to email services (Chrome and Gmail respectively) – both sets of clients are catered for. The company ensures that their clientele search experience is made easy and that what they need to be done is achieved with much comfort. Additionally, with excellent advertising platforms to offer to business entities, Google helps entrepreneurs find their right customers. Other areas of focus for Google include: web application services such as cloud computing services for businesses which seem to be more productive for the clients; publishing tools for the community of publishers to take advantage of and generate money out of their content; and application products like Android which offer great help to the community of developers in their attempts to improve the online ecosystem and propel the web forward.
Various strategies have been put forward regarding research designs. These research designs operate at a more applied level and often utilize strategies (traditions or methodologies) of inquiry (Phillips & Burbules, 2000). The research methodologies have emerged as a result of recent innovations in computer technology, thereby providing channels for complex data analysis. Further, the emergence of research methodologies has provided new strategies for carrying out research in the social science discipline. The major research methodologies utilized in various research studies include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methodologies (Crotty, 1998).
The quantitative research methodology is a research strategy that emerged in the late 19th century. From its inception – and throughout the 20th century – the research methodology has majorly focused on post-positivist standpoints. This post-positivism included real and less precise experiments known as quasi-experiments as well as correlational studies (Lincoln & Guba, 2000). The research strategy also included specific one-subject experimental designs (Kemmis & Wilkinson, 1998). However, more recent innovations in the strategy have brought about quantitative strategies which involve intricate (or complex) experimental designs consisting of numerous treatments and variables. These treatments and variables include repeated measurement and factorial designs. The newer quantitative strategies also include structural equation models that tend to be more elaborate and which incorporate causal paths and multiple variables identification. The quantitative research design is known for two strategies of inquiry, namely:
- Experiments: The research design focuses on real as well as quasi or less precise experimental designs. The real experiments often utilize random subject assignments to the treatment conditions. On the other hand, the quasi-experimental designs employ subject non-randomization to the treatment conditions (Lincoln & Guba, 2000). Also included within the quasi-experiments are single subject designs.
- Surveys: These include longitudinal as well as cross-sectional studies which utilize questionnaires and/or structured interviews during data collection. The objective of these questionnaires and interviews is to generalize findings obtained from a sample to be those of the whole population (Neuman, 2000).
Qualitative Strategies of Inquiry
The second research strategy – qualitative approach – became clearly visible during the 1990s. The research methodology is quite complex compared to the quantitative approach because it consists of various aspects. In qualitative research designs, the researcher or inquirer often creates knowledge claims primarily based on constructivist viewpoints (Neuman, 2000). This means that the researcher will utilize multiple meanings of individual experiences, historically and socially constructed meanings with a major purpose of developing a theoretical path. Additionally, qualitative research designs can be based on advocacy and/or participatory standpoints which include political, collaborative, issue-oriented or change-oriented processes. At times, both constructivism and advocacy perspectives may be utilized. The methodology utilizes ethnographies, phenomenologies, narratives, case studies, and theoretical studies (Crotty, 1998). Here, the inquirer collects emerging data through open-ended questions with a primary objective of developing theories from the data collected (Kemmis & Wilkinson, 1998).
Mixed Methods Approach
Here, the researcher is interested in basing knowledge claims on pragmatic grounds which include problem-centered, consequence-oriented, and pluralistic viewpoints (Phillips & Burbules, 2000). The methodology utilizes strategies involved in the collection of data either simultaneously or sequentially. This is done to describe best or comprehend research problems. Data collection entails assembling both numeric and text information, thereby coming up with both qualitative and quantitative information (Cherryholmes, 1992). The numerical data may be based on such things as instruments while text information may be obtained from interviews. Therefore, the mixed methods approach focuses on creating a balance between the two research methodologies.
Based on the above research methodologies description, quantitative strategies of inquiry appears to be worthwhile in conducting a perception study at Google. This is because the issues to be addressed are mainly factors that lead to an outcome. This means that a proper understanding of the perceptions at Google is needed based on best predictors of outcomes which are indeed predetermined. Additionally, a quantitative approach utilizes hypotheses as the major drivers of the research study. In this case, the study should conclude by describing whether the stated hypotheses are confirmed or not. In this specific study, the earlier stated possible perceptions act as the hypotheses to the research. Therefore, the conclusion should be given that states whether they have been confirmed or otherwise.
Data Collection and Findings
The study was conducted quantitatively through the use of questionnaires and interviews from a cross-sectional sample of the employees. These employees were 30 in total and would be analyzed to represent the whole Google employee population. The employees were drawn from different departments which included quality control, human resource, application development, and public relations departments. They were identified through online forums and their consents sought. In order to achieve close-to-perfect data, video interviews were carried out that almost simulated real face-to-face interview. Questionnaires were also sent out to the employees in the form of online forms that contained questions to be filled. In this case, the selected employees were to fill the forms and post them as they were without printing or scanning. The questionnaires sent contained one multiple choice question (MCQ) that asked the individual to tick appropriately based on what they thought was/were the major perceptions at Google (based on five pre-determined assumptions of the quantitative approach), especially regarding their current success and growth. The question was as follows:
What are your perceptions on Google regarding the company’s culture, values and beliefs and current growth and success? Tick as appropriate
- Being great does not mean good enough;
- Open culture serves all;
- Interaction is the heart of innovation;
- Ability supersedes experience;
- One can be serious without a suit; and
- Other.
The employees were to tick whichever perception they felt represented their perceptions of Google’s culture, success, and growth. In the last option, the employees were to give any other perception they held apart from the ones listed.
Findings
Based on the question, an impressive 97.65% (29 employees) of the sampled employees selected all the available perceptions except “Other” . Only 1 employee selected “Open culture serves all” and “Interaction is the heart of innovation” as his only perspectives. The findings confirm – to a greater extent – the hypotheses listed in the beginning of the study and serve to confirm further Google’s popular perceptions among the employees who feel that the perceptions are significantly linked to the company’s success.
References
Cherryholmes, C. H. (1992). Notes on pragmatism and scientific realism. Educational Researcher 4, August-September, 13-1 7.
Crotty, M. (1998). The foundations of social march: Meaning and perspective in the research process. London: Sage.
Kemmis, S., & Wilkinson, M. (1998). Participatory action research and the study of practice. In B. Atweh, S. Kemmis, & P. Weeks (Eds.), Action research in practice: Partnerships for social justice in education (pp. 2 1-36). New York: Routledge.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (2000). Paradigmatic controversies, contradictions, and emerging confluences. In N. K. Denzin, Y. S. Lincoln, & E. G. Guba (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 163-188). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Neuman, W. L. (2000). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (4th Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Phillips, D. C., & Burbules, N. C. (2000). Post positivism and educational research. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
