Too Big To Grow Rapidly ?

----By Tiffany Liu




Microsoft, known as the giant in computing over the world, is confronted with some problems ,which is rather suffering for Gates.


I like chatting via MSN Messenger which is a chatting tool created by Microsoft. This type is my favorite because of its user-friendliness. There, on MSN Messenger, I got a net pal working for the headquarters of Microsoft in Seattle . We are always pleased to have a talk online. I really appreciate the chat with him because he is a native Chinese. And now he has been project manager in one team in Microsoft. Sometimes we have voice chat, during which I could hear the office cleaner went in and put away garbage. I felt he was really admirable. Exactly! He is working for a corporation which is not only the monopoly of PC operating systems but also the master in Web browsers. Undoubtedly, he is one of the world's brightest technologist. So he is. How do I know? I usually logged on during the day-time in vacation when it was nearly the night in USA. I could always met him on MSN. He told me that he was at work. In fact, it was not really overtimes, he said, he was just trying to finish his tasks in hand. It was come up to me that as an employee in such a outstanding multinational, he has taken the equivalent responsibilities. There must be many headaches for him simultaneously. Indeed, all employees in this huge corporation suffer something we, as common people, do think over.


Things happened out of this: in July this year, Kai-Fu Lee bolted from Microsoft for Web search king Google Inc. which is the biggest rival for Gates. Microsoft sued to stop Lee who is the founder of Microsoft's research lab in China from working for the competitor. However, a state judge ruled that Lee could work for Google with some limitations. It is a win-game for Google and Lee, obviously. Lee smiled broadly and said outside the courtroom that he could not wait to start work the next morning.


Actually, not only Lee, but also so many others talented veterans bolted. And staff inside are full of complaints and gloominess. The proprietor of the Web log called Mini-Microsoft may be the most notorious blogger on corporate life. It posted a stream of anonymous critiques of the company. Its employer called Microsoft a "passionless, process-ridden, lumbering idiot" in a Sept. 4 posting. Yet the blog is also chock full of humor, intelligence, and earnest suggestions for fixing Microsoft.


It seems that the problems from inside the corporation are severe. If this sort of attitude goes on, the huge company will face a big big challenge which is more fatal than ones from outside. Seeing this, how do the management of the corporation deal with it becomes the focus.


Let's screen the salary, perks and other compensations formed by Gates. In fact, "Microsoft's compensation moves have created a haves-vs-have-nots culture", introduced by the Business Week Magazine. New comers work for comfortable but not overly generous wages, while veterans have a lucrative treasure chest of stock options. And a new pay scheme makes the gap wider. This disparity is exacerbated by Microsoft's rating system.


It is no doubt that Microsoft is changing into a more mature corporation. However, the problem in the front is thorny for Gates and his company. Gates is responsible for product development as extraordinary software architect. All actions can give huge influence to the whole world. Microsoft is big. But whether its size becomes the dominantobstacle for its growth is quite apparent. As an outstanding entrepreneurial guy, Gates should make some effective plans and policies to overcome the difficulties. And he should gain some lesson from this embarrassment that creating a comfortable working environment and profitablecompensation to staff is really a significant theme no matter how well-known the name of the corporation is. Maintaining the staff is far more important than innovating a new product for one company. Personnel always comes first.
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