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TECHNOLOGY Tuesday 13 June 2017

Experts: Uber must make changes at top to fix culture woes

TOM KRISHER uted to Uber’s recent
BARBARA ORTUTAY woes, losing his temper
AP Business Writers earlier this year in a pro-
DETROIT (AP) — Uber fanity-laced argument
must get rid of leaders with an Uber driver
who tolerate bad be- over pay. The website
havior and hire people Recode.net reported
who don’t — including that Kalanick put out a
up to the chief execu- memo in 2013 advising
tive — experts say, as employees attending a
the ride-hailing com- company party about
pany gets ready to having sex with each
announce significant other. Kalanick also has
changes to its culture been facing personal
and management. difficulties. His mother
Uber’s board has ad- was killed and his fa-
opted the recommen- ther hurt last month in a
dations of former At- boating accident near
torney General Eric Los Angeles.
Holder, who investi- Experts say Uber’s rene-
gated its toxic culture gade culture of fighting
of harassment and bul- regulators and skirting
lying. Those will be re- laws may have con-
vealed to employees This Wednesday, March 1, 2017, file photo shows an exterior view of the headquarters of Uber in tributed to its problems.
and made public on San Francisco. “We do see sometimes
Tuesday. Associated Press a startup mentality in
Experts interviewed by the early years of a
The Associated Press on paper,” she says. company. ing. It’s also facing a company’s growth
say CEO Travis Kalanick It would be tough for Last week, based on federal investigation where they have dif-
should step aside or at the board to remove a report from a differ- into claims that it used ficulty sometimes ad-
minimum change his Kalanick because of ent law firm that inves- a fake version of its app justing to being a huge
behavior for the com- Uber’s stock ownership tigated employee ha- to thwart authorities. enterprise,” said Lisa Kl-
pany to make progress. structure. rassment, bullying and Amid the turmoil at the erman, a USC law pro-
Uber’s board is discuss- Jennifer Chatman, a retaliation complaints, world’s largest ride- fessor and employment
ing a leave of absence business professor at Uber fired 20 people hailing company, com- law mediator.
for Kalanick. No de- the University of Califor- and sent another 31 into petitors such as Lyft are Micah Alpern, principal
cision has yet been nia Berkeley who also counseling. Experts say trying to take advan- at management con-
made, according to does corporate inves- it’s an unprecedented tage, growing ridership sulting firm A.T. Kearney
a person briefed on tigations, predicts that number of firings that and inking technology who helps companies
the matter who didn’t Kalanick will be granted shows a pervasive prob- deals and investments. change cultures sug-
want to be identified a leave — but he won’t lem, but also is a strong On Monday, Lyft an- gests that Uber adopt
because board discus- return in the top spot. step toward rehabilita- nounced a $25 million something like the “see
sions aren’t normally “He lacks the ability to tion. Who the company investment from Jag- something, say some-
made public. set an appropriate tone hires as replacements uar-Land Rover. Earlier thing” slogan, encour-
A CEO’s behavior sets for this organization,” will make or break the it signed a deal with aging employees to
the tone for the rest of she said. “He lacks the effort, they say. Waymo, Google’s for- speak up when some-
the company, says Cin- kind of presence that’s Uber must hire people mer autonomous car one acts inappropri-
dy Schipani, a business needed for a larger or- who “don’t have the operation. Lyft says it ately.
law professor at the ganization.” harassment state of gave 70.4 million rides in Cases like Uber and Fox
University of Michigan It is common, Chat- mind,” Schipani said. the first quarter, up 142 News show that sexual
who has taken part in man says, for com- On Monday, Uber said percent from the same harassment isn’t less-
investigations of corpo- pany founders to be its chief business officer, period a year ago. Fas- ening, especially with
rate conduct. She says ill-equipped to lead an Emil Michael, is leaving ten, an Uber rival that tech companies, said
Kalanick should resign organization as it ma- the company. No rea- operates in Boston and Tom Spiggle, founder of
and save the board tures. “This may be the son was given for his Austin, Texas, said it a law firm that focuses
from having to oust moment for Uber where departure. saw a 25 percent rider- on workplace issues.
him. “That’s where the it needs to go to the Uber Technologies Inc. ship increase the week Tech firms are male
culture comes from. It next stage,” she says. has been rocked by after an Uber boycott dominated and can
has to change at the She expects Kalanick to accusations that it has started. The company have a fraternity-like
top and he has to rec- come back as a strate- fostered a workplace says it’s still seeing rider- “brogrammer” culture
ognize what he does, gist under a new CEO environment that con- ship rise 3 to 5 percent that values masculinity
his actions, speak loud- or possibly a board dones harassment, dis- per week. and intense competi-
er than anything put member who runs the crimination and bully- Kalanick has contrib- tion, he says.q