New Delhi: Google has come a long way from being a standalone company to becoming a part of Alphabet, from trying not to be evil to doing the right thing. Last week, the company officially transformed into Alphabet holding company and with it came some substantive changes including a new code of conduct.
Google’s own code of conduct is best known for its motto that was also part of its IPO filing in 2004, which stated- ‘Don’t be evil.’
However, Alphabet stresses that employees and its subsidiaries should ‘Do the right thing’ and ‘follow the law, act honourably, and treat each other with respect.’
With its earlier motto, Google aspired to be a different company. However, ‘Don’t be evil’ was also held up by critics who say Google has not always lived up to it, WSJ reports.
While Google’s code of conduct spans pages and includes idiosyncracies about drinking at work (not too much) and taking pets (not cats) to the office, Alphabet’s code sticks to the basics: avoid conflicts of interest, maintain integrity, and obey the law.
When Google announced Alphabet, it labeled it as an umbrella unit that would hold Google along with other businesses that are far afield the main Internet products.
While there has been a restructuring, a vast majority of Alphabet employees will still be Google employees. This suggests that they will be still covered by Google’s code of conduct and the ‘Don’t be evil’ motto.
However, that doesn’t mean the new businesses will be restricted by the set norms; it could allow them to develop their own cultures, separate from Google.
A Google spokesman said, “Individual Alphabet companies may of course have their own codes to ensure they continue to promote compliance and great values. But if they start bringing cats to work, there’s gonna be trouble with a capital T.”
Starting today, Google's class A shares and class C shares will automatically convert into the same number of Alphabet class A shares and class C shares for trading on the Nasdaq. The ticker symbols will not change.
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