Alphabet’s Motto
Is “Do the right thing” the same as “Don’t be evil?” I’m not sure!
Google’s ‘Don’t Be Evil’ Becomes Alphabet’s ‘Do the Right Thing’
Wall Street Journal Tech – By: Alistair Barr – “‘Don’t be evil’ is so 2004.
Alphabet Inc. posted a new code of conduct for its employees Friday, after Google completed its transformation into a holding company. There were few substantive changes in more than 20 documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission; the Alphabet code of conduct, posted on its website, is among them.
Google’s code of conduct, of course, is best-known for its first line, which was also included in Google’s 2004 filing for its initial public offering: ‘Don’t be evil.’
Alphabet’s code doesn’t include that phrase. Instead, it says employees of Alphabet and its subsidiaries ‘should do the right thing – follow the law, act honorably, and treat each other with respect.’
‘Don’t be evil’ marked Google’s aspiration to be a different company. But the phrase also has been held up by critics who say Google has not always lived up to it.
Google’s code of conduct is much longer than Alphabet’s. It includes idiosyncracies about drinking alcohol at work (OK but not too much) and taking pets to the office (dogs are cool but cats are discouraged).
The Alphabet code sticks to the basics: avoid conflicts of interest, maintain integrity and obey the law.
To be sure, the vast majority of Alphabet employees will still be Google employees, part of the core search-and-advertising unit that is the new holding company’s biggest division. Those workers are still covered by Google’s code of conduct and the ‘Don’t be evil’ motto.
However, the change does show how the re-organization could let new businesses develop their own cultures, separate from Google.
Who knows, maybe Nest employees prefer cats?
‘Individual Alphabet companies may of course have their own codes to ensure they continue to promote compliance and great values,’ a Google spokesman said. ‘But if they start bringing cats to work, there’s gonna be trouble with a capital T.’
Let’s just hope the self-driving car group doesn’t stray too far from the ‘Don’t be evil’ creed.”