Social media has become a platform for young people to spread ideas and advocate for causes they care about. But, there’s a better way for young people to express their opinions and push for change — by thinking carefully about what companies they support with their money.

Uber’s initial public offering was delayed by the recent government shutdown. When Uber becomes a public company, every part of its business will be under increased scrutiny — including its culture.

Uber has a toxic work culture, but in order for Uber’s culture to change consumers have to stop supporting them.

Losing customers is a company’s greatest motivation to change. If someone purchases something from a company, they’re directly supporting that business and what it stands for.

Susie Teuscher | Digital Design Editor

Consumers should think critically about every product or service they use. That type of feedback will only help show companies the importance of treating all of their stakeholders properly, even employees.

Uber’s toxic workplace was exposed in February 2017 thanks to a blog post by Susan Fowler, a former software engineer at the ride-hailing giant. Fowler described instances of sexual harassment being swept under the rug because certain managers were considered “high performers.”

Uber representatives did not respond to multiple requests for a comment on this column.

This simple blog post sparked a series of investigations that revealed that Uber’s culture prioritized performance over everything else. Several former employees were involved in lawsuits over sexual harassment and verbal abuse.

The high-growth mindset of new companies can push aside the importance of establishing positive cultural values. Travis Kalanick, the infamous co-founder of Uber, valued growth at all costs.

Joel Carnevale, an assistant professor of management at Syracuse University, said workplace culture is heavily influenced by founders and the attitudes of company leadership.

“Leaders basically serve as a role model by which employees figure out the appropriate and inappropriate behaviors,” Carnevale said.

Kalanick’s replacement, Dara Khosrowshahi, said in October 2018 that the company still needs to improve its culture, according to the Financial Times.

It takes years to develop culture. It also takes years to unravel and improve it.

Daniel Strauss is a senior finance major and public communications minor. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at dstrauss@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @_thestrauss_.

Published on January 28, 2019 at 10:47 am