Organizational Interventions in Corporate Organisations

There are many types of organizational interventions. Recently, these interventions which had previously gone unnoticed by society has been making national and even international news. These two types of interventions are investing in employees and focusing on groups. While these two interventions are the sole focus of the following articles, both companies are also utilizing the building trust intervention in order to bring about organizational change and even change on a macro scale, to entire industries. The two companies for analyzation are Google and Starbucks, both very large and very influential companies in regards to society and to their respective industries.

Recently, there has been a sweeping overhaul in corporate tax code in the United States. While both Starbucks and Google both reap the benefits of these changes, Starbucks is passing along their good fortune to their employees. “In a letter to company employees, CEO Kevin Johnson said, 'Starbucks remains committed in continuing to offer industry-leading comprehensive health care benefits and marketplace, disability and life insurance benefits, a 401K savings plan benefit, and the Starbucks College Achievement Plan.”” (Holden, 2018). This is an example of investing in employees. By giving employees fair pay, a 401K, health benefits, life insurance and access to funds for college they are investing in their employees. By showing their employees that the company sees them as more than just employees, but as people, it guarantees that employees will work harder for the organization.

“Five years ago, Google — one of the most public proselytizers of how studying workers can transform productivity — became focused on building the perfect team” (Duhigg, 2016). This is an example of focusing on groups. Google saw that when employees worked together problems were solved faster and innovation flourished. “One of the main management strategies of the organizations is to invest in employees” (Gungor, 2011). Promoting team work is an investment in employees. It provides an atmosphere of implied confidence in not only the ability of the employees but in their ability to make decisions and act on those decisions accordingly.

While both Starbucks and Google are using different organizational interventions, both approaches are centered in trust intervention. Starbucks is investing in their employees, which is a form of trust, trust that employees will stay with the company and will not increase turnover rates. Google is focusing on groups which is a form of trust, trust that the members of that group will work together for the betterment of the organization. Trust is an essential part of feeling needed, which employees need to feel.

Starbucks is focused on the individual employee while Google chooses to focus on groups of employees. It is easier to manage each person as an individual than it is to manage groups of people, where there is shared responsibility. The differences, however, do not take away from the benefits each hold if implemented correctly. Each style of intervention utilized by both Starbucks and Google pass along some of the power to the individual employee. Giving power to employees could be a disaster, but Starbucks and Google are both revered by their respective industries and society as they have implemented changes and interventions in such a manner that they have both become the standard to which other companies are held to.

Organizational interventions are often needed to ensure that the organization changes as society changes. The younger generation does not work the same way the older generation does/did. It is because of this that changes must be made in order to entice new employees to organizations. The organizational interventions implemented by both Starbucks and Google provide what the younger generations are seeking, individuality and an understanding of modern life coupled with what is necessary for survival, such as fair pay. As long as these interventions are thought out and implemented correctly, they will continue to benefit companies.