Business giant, the example of tremendous success, leadership standards and perfect human capital management are considered to be synonyms of the Microsoft Corporation. Established back in 1975, the corporation has developed from passion of two school friends for computers to the biggest multinational and multimillion corporation that develops, manufactures and sells all types of computing products. Why is this company so successful and different from the other organizations on the same market? These are several factors that determined the success of the company throughout its existence, some of them are market driven, such as demand and low competition in segment, or availability of resources on the market that generated this unique composition of competence and experience that brought first products of the company to the world.
I, however, believe that while the above factors have created the company, people management and corporate culture is something that brought the Microsoft Corporation to the sustainable and powerful mechanism leading and determining the direction, in which computing market has been evolving for the last two decades. Human Capital Management in the Microsoft Corporation is, from my point of view, the unique combination of “soft” and “hard” people management. By finding healthy balance between tangible and intangible motivators in the organization that drive individual satisfaction and motivation up, the company achieved high efficiency and effectiveness level in all the divisional functions. Apart from that, Microsoft has created strong brand based on quality and reputation for excellent people management. It is difficult to find a single person in our generation that does not know the name and products developed by the company. It is the best advertisement and driver for the brand.
Microsoft Corporation created self-feeding mechanism that creates quality and innovation through previous experience and its customers. Organization that is on top of the business and that already became a history of success – it is the way a lot of people see the Microsoft Corporation nowadays.