Structures of Multinational Internet Companies
Multinational internet retailers face numerous challenges when they design their organizational structures. However, there are two main challenges that are foremost. They must consider the significance of differentiation that enables specialization and development of competitive advantages in their home countries. Secondly, they must consider cultural diversity of their employees and customers. Hence, they have to develop organizational structures that create balance between these two challenges. The structures adopted by such organizations must also enable the companies thrive in local and international markets. Hence, multinational internet retailers normally like transnational network organizational structures. Transnational network organizational structures evolved from matrix models. Transnational networks depend on parallel communication systems. Communication technologies are used in such systems. Additionally, information is shared centrally through communication technologies. They use transnational networks since knowledge pools can be developed, global integration is possible and there is high responsiveness from customers (Daft, 2010). Finally, transnational networks allow the development of communication culture and decisive decision-making.
Developing Inclusive Cultures
Organizations, especially those that have international operations, should develop cultures that consider cultural diversity. Diversity enables organizations to understand their clients and markets. This enables them to produce products that meet the needs of their customers. Additionally, it allows them to acquire innovative teams. However, the creation of an inclusive culture takes time. Nonetheless, once an inclusive culture has been created, conflicts can be resolved easily, customers' needs can be met and competitive strategies can be easily developed. The first step in the creation of an inclusive culture is the development of a comprehensive statement. Companies must develop inclusive statements and make them be official. The statements must be made public and be included in company policies. Workers must be trained on the policies to understand the culture that a company hopes to create (Lindsay, 2010).
Secondly, a company must develop workers' networks. Employee networks at workplace assist in fostering inclusion. Employees can be members of various groups within an organization. This assists them to develop professionally and they can understand the challenges that each of them face. Thirdly, companies can use diversity training to promote inclusion. Diversity training must be compulsory for all employees. The training can be customized to meet specific goals that relate to inclusion. Finally, companies can tone the culture of an organization from the top-level management (Lindsay, 2010). The inclusion culture of an organization can be developed at the management level. The management of an organization should include people of different cultural backgrounds. They should work together and provide an example to other employees of the company. This can result in the development of an inclusive culture.
Measuring Success
The success of an organizational structure and culture can be measured in various ways. It can be measured through analysis of how an organization implements three performance indicators. The first indicator is the training provided by an organization. Ongoing training programs in an organization show the existence of continuity. Training provides workers with new skills, promotes employee satisfaction and increases company’s performance. The second indicator is the feedback provided by workers. Feedback is a form of employee training and it promotes accountability culture. Through feedbacks, a company can determine how to improve its products, satisfy customers’ expectation and train workers (Sheri, 2012). Feedback from workers can also be used to determine how to gauge employee satisfaction. Finally, autonomy is the other element that can be analyzed to determine the success of an organizational structure and culture. Autonomy allows employees to become innovative and creative. Organizational structures that allow autonomy enable employees to develop and implement plans that are creative and beneficial to the company. The analyses of these three indicators enable measurement of success of organizational structures and cultures.
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