YouTube's Cultural Challenges: Monetization Policy Change Impact - Essay Sample

Introduction

As showcased in the video, YouTube is a reactive organization that has problems with three elements of culture and climate, which are a community, communication, and conflict management. They have showcased to affect the effectiveness of the organization to handle significant organizational challenges like the monetization policy change. Besides, the lack of proper redress to the elements had an impact on the outcome, which was grieving the creators, and one even attacked the company's headquarters and caused fatalities in a mass shooting incident.

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Community Making organizational culture centred on society is a practical approach that a business can use to remain effective (Gover et al., 2016). A large organization such as YouTube links different communities and making significant decisions should be in due consideration of their views. When making changes to the monetization policy, YouTube failed to consolidate the aspects of the community, which made many of its community members, especially creators, to be frustrated. The creator who attacked the organization headquarters would have, for instance, understood the necessity of the change if the organization had previously asked for the input of creators before making the change.

The reactive response that the organization gave was changing the policy. It was, however, too late because they took considerations of the general public when the damage had happened. Thus, the organization must undertake a proactive measure that would be consulting with members of the community and considering their interests too while making future changes in any other policy.

Communication

Communication is such an essential aspect of organizational culture. Indeed, leaders who are interested in ensuring that their companies perform well invest in proper communication mechanisms (Murata et al., 2017). Where communication is not open, there is a high tendency for organizational conflicts to arise. Lack of communication about the monetization policy at YouTube met creators and the general public that uses the platform by surprise. If there were adequate communication mechanisms, the creators and the general public would have been informed about the changes before they were executed and there would not have been a conflict since the creators would have been prepared for the changes.

The reactive strategy that the organization took to express commitment after the attack was informed that they had settled on changes which were fairer to its users. The response, however, came way after fatalities had been witnessed. In retrospect, it would be needful that the organizations make changes in its communication systems such that it ensures that communication about pertinent matters that affect the users happens openly and with clarity.

Conflict Management

Conflict Management in organizations is one of the most useful techniques in ensuring collaboration within and without the organization. It entails creating processes that are viable which conflicts can be easily solved before they develop (Elgoibar et al., 2016). Often, conflict management requires compromise and accommodation of divergent views. Lack of proper conflict management at YouTube saw the organization unable to contain the anger of the creators until it experienced a mass shooting which claimed some lives. If the organization had invested in a sound conflict management system, such an outcome would not have been witnessed.

As a reactive conflict management mechanism, YouTube altered its stand on its monetization policy. The compromise was a practical conflict management approach, but it came too late. A proactive conflict management approach would be to make such changes before such conflicts turn physical.

References

Elgoibar, P., Munduate, L., & Euwema, M. (2016). Building trust and constructive conflict management in organizations. In Building Trust and Constructive Conflict Management in Organizations (pp. 1-13). Springer, Cham.

Gover, L., Halinski, M., & Duxbury, L. (2016). Is it just me? Exploring perceptions of organizational culture change. British Journal of Management, 27(3), 567-582. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12117

Murata, K., Tezel, A., Koskela, L., & Tzortzopoulos, P. (2017). An Application of Control Theory to Visual Management for Organizational Communication in Construction. http://iglc.net/Papers/Details/1385