Jaime Hadley

Google and Apple: A Look at Values

Company culture should begin with a defined set of core values. Whether published on a public

site, written on posters in the corporate hallways, or portrayed silently through leadership actions

and initiatives, core values play a key role in the long-term success, or sustainability, of a

company. Apple and Google, both known for innovation and creativity, have unique and related

values that give insight into the culture of the individual companies, how they relate and differ,

and how they define success.

Google makes their value statement prominent on their website. Under the unassuming heading

“Ten things we know to be true”, Google’s site lists “10 things” that were established in the early

years of the company, and that remain important to the philosophy and company culture at

Google (http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/). This type of “measuring stick”

mentality when it comes to their priorities speaks to the predictability of Google’s culture.

According to “Training for Trust” (Stewart, Linda), “company values should serve as a basis for

acting, and a compass for setting direction, inside the organization.” Predictability, while not

limiting necessary change, promotes trust in a company, from inside and outside (Stewart,

Linda). Apple’s core values, not present on their website, can be found in news articles as

articulated by Apple CEO Tim Cook. “Apple’s Mission Statement” (Alexander, Alvin)

summarizes the value statement made by Cook in 2009. Tim starts each statement with “we

believe”, and identifies seven core beliefs for the company. Contrary to Google, which lists ten

simple concepts and then expands on them, Cook states Apple’s values in complex sentences

without further details or explanation. Cook’s stated values are more specific and product-driven

in nature than Google’s, but still “serve to…empower and direct employees to achieve and

implement organizational objectives,” a purpose of core values discussed in “Creating Effective

Core Organizational Values: A Spiritual Leadership Approach” (Ferguson, Jeffery.)

Google and Apple have three core values that correlate closely and contribute to their individual

successes.

Google Apple

It’s best to do one thing really, really well. We believe in saying no to thousands of

projects so that we can really focus on the few

that are truly important and meaningful to us.

Great just isn’t good enough. We don’t settle for anything less than

excellence in every group in the company…

Fast is better than slow. We believe in the simple, not the complex.

(http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/ and “Apple’s Mission Statement”

[Alexander, Alvin])

These similar values promote focus, excellence, and simplification. “Creating Effective Core

Organizational Values: A Spiritual Leadership Approach” (Ferguson, Jeffrey) says “while some

decisions are clear, the majority are not, which makes it very difficult for the leaders who have to

make them. Leaders will find the answer to this dilemma in their core values.” Google and Apple

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agree, according to their values, on the importance of these three key things to the long-term

sustainability of their companies. Since both companies deal with the vast field of technology,

they must limit themselves to what works for them. They would prefer to find a great deal of

success in a few things, than minor success in many things. Apple and Google also find

agreement in the pursuit of excellence. To maintain their successes in the long run, they both

realize that being good enough is not enough. Distinction through excellence is essential to a

company’s success. Finally, both companies identify the importance of simplification. In their

product design as well as customer experience, they promote simplification of processes and

solutions, making their brands and products more relatable and valuable for their customers.

Despite these similarities in culture, Apple and Google vary greatly in their approach to

excellence. Google’s values revolve around people. Their first “thing we know to be true”

(http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/) is “Focus on the user and all else will

follow” (http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/). Google believes that an excellent

user experience is the main driver of their success, a principle supported by the remainder of

their core beliefs. More than anything, this user focus creates the “signature experience” of

Google. “What It Means to Work Here” (Erickson, Tamara) states that a company’s signature

experience “is created by a bundle of everyday routines, or signature processes, which are tricky

for competitors to imitate precisely because they have evolved in-house and reflect the

company’s heritage and the leadership team’s ethos.” Google’s focus is on people, internal and

external. Google uniquely focuses on customer experience by enhancing the work environment

to encourage “highly engaged employees” who are “enthusiastic, committed, [and] mission

aware…at all levels” (Erickson, Tamara.) The ninth core value of Google is “You can be serious

without a suit.” Most people think of the infamous ‘nap pods’, free café, and other flashy perks

of the Google corporate office, but Google states that their fun and encouraging environment is

more than “lava lamps and rubber balls.” (http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/.)

“There is an emphasis on team achievements and pride in individual accomplishments that

contribute to [their] overall success” (http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/.)

Again, this goes back to valuing people.

Apple’s core values revolve around product. Tim Cook started his belief statement by saying

“We believe that we're on the face of the Earth to make great products” (Alexander, Alvin.)

Contrary to the people-focus of Google, Apple takes greatest pride in product value. The

opinions of two people who have worked for both companies support this conclusion. An

anonymous former employee of Apple, who later worked at Google, talked about the cultural

differences between the two on a discussion board site. He felt that Apple and Google were

different in “feel” – what would be considered culture. He said Apple has the “I’m cool” feel,

while Google has a “knowledge is cool” feel. He discussed Apple as being sales based, while

comparing the Google campus to a university (O’Grady, Jason.) Tony Fadell is a well-known

employee of both Apple and Google, having served as “the Senior Vice President of the iPod

Division at Apple Inc,” and then as the founder of Nest Labs (acquired by google in 2014)

(Wikipedia.) In a video interview with CNN, Fadell clarified what he sees to be the difference

between the two cultures (http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/11/05/nest-ceo-tony-

fadell-on-google-apple-culture.cnnmoney/.) Fadell attributed the main cultural differences to the

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time frame during which the two companies emerged. He talked about the hierarchical, more

formal, structure of the 35-plus-year-old Apple. Google, Fadell states, was born out of a

“network culture”, and fosters greater transparency and communication between levels. Google

understands the importance of transparency, with leaders who are “open about what is happening

within the organization, [share] information, and encourage information sharing widely”

(Stewart, Linda.)

Google also specifically promotes ethical behavior. In his talk with CNN, Tony Fadell postulates

that the mission statement of Google will evolve to be more and more societal, driven by “a

positive societal impact, to accelerate change, to bring and to get rid of many of the problems

that we have today with lack of transparency in government, lack of transparency in how we

consume energy and our natural resources…to make more effective knowledge workers”

(http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/11/05/nest-ceo-tony-fadell-on-google-apple-

culture.cnnmoney/.) Though Apple does have portions of their website dedicated to

environmental impact discussions, etc., Google has made ethics part of their core mission

statement. Google’s sixth “thing we know” is “You can make money without doing evil.”

Google recognizes that the majority of their revenue comes from advertising, and outlines

specific ethical guidelines for how their advertisers will be promoted, without compromising the

integrity of the search (http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/.) Their core value

states that their “users trust [their] objectivity and no short-term gain could every justify

breaching that trust” (So http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/.) Google leaders

recognize that “trust is a decision and a leadership attribute that can be developed” (Stewart,

Linda.) I find great value in an organization that so clearly promotes transparency and trust. 2

Corinthians 4:16-17 (Bible Gateway) says “inwardly we are being renewed day by day…for our

light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Though the apostle Paul is referring to a spiritual glory, the concept of his statement aligns with

the ethical statement Google makes, that the short term struggle or gain should not outweigh or

overshadow the success of the long term. As “Creating Effective Core Organizational Values: A

Spiritual Leadership Approach” (Ferguson, Jeffery) concludes, the “impact of organizational

values” should extend to “providing moral guidance (including giving direction in times of

ethical dilemmas or crisis).”

Though I would be thrilled to be considered for a position at Google or Apple, I would have to

choose Google as my employer of choice based on their ethics, core values, and people-focused

culture. According to “What It Means to Work Here” (Erickson, Tamara), successful companies

should target potential employees in the same manner that they target customers, by identifying

candidates who “will buy into the organization’s culture and adapt to its workflow.” Google

appears to find great value and success in this concept, employing creative, intelligent, adaptable

and risk-taking individuals, and fostering an environment which encourages those attributes.

Google’s focus on ethics and people make it a better fit for my personal values, and will

contribute greatly to the long-term success of the company.

Jaime Hadley

Bibliography

Alexander, Alvin. “Apple’s Mission Statement.” 2013. http://alvinalexander.com/blog/post/mac-os-

x/apple-business-philosophy-mission-statement

Bible Gateway. The Bible. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%201

Erickson, Tamara and Lynda Gratton. “What It Means to Work Here.” 2007.

https://info.eaglenet.jbu.edu/depts/odl/om/resources/om3273/WhatitMeanstoWorkHere.pdf

Ferguson, Jeffery and John MIlliman. “Creating Effective Core Organizational Values: A Spiritual

Leadership Approach.” 2008. https://classes.jbu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-641871-dt-content-rid-

2296720_1/courses/8989/8989_ImportedContent_20150223093920/CreatingEffectiveCoreValu

es.pdf

“Nest CEO on culture of Apple vs. Google” http://money.cnn.com/video/technology/2014/11/05/nest-

ceo-tony-fadell-on-google-apple-culture.cnnmoney/

O’Grady, Jason. “Working at Apple vs. working at Google.” 2011.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/working-at-apple-vs-working-at-google/

Stewart, Linda. “Training for Trust.” 2013

https://info.eaglenet.jbu.edu/depts/odl/om/resources/om3273/TrainingforTrust.pdf

“Ten things we know to be true” http://www.google.com/about/company/philosophy/

Wikipedia. “Tony Fadell” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Fadell