In Managing Integration, we learned about the qualities of High Reliability Organizations (HROs), the principles of Integrative Thinking, and the nuances of organizational culture. Teams were tasked with analyzing a company and tie together concepts from our Managing Integration learning and concepts from other courses in the IMC program. Presentation Design By Jiayang (Chloe) Sun

1. AIRBNB
MANAGING INTEGRATION AT
Lainey Fox| Anthony Fleet| Jiawei Li| Katie More| Priya Ramanathan| Chloe Jiayang Sun

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Company Overview
2. Integrative Thinking
3. Organizational Culture
5. Current Strategies
4. HRO Principles
6. Recommendations

3. “Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences”
Founded in 2008 in San Francisco
Recognized the potential to integrate the hotel model with the comforts of home
Air Bed & Breakfast --> AirBnB
BrianChesky NathanBlecharczyk JoeGebbia
CEO | Head of Community Chief Strategy Officer Chief Product Officer

4. AIRBNB CREATION & IMC
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
Asset-Light business model
CONSUMER INSIGHT
Pain-Points
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
MANAGEMENT
Disruptive Innovation
Innovation Type:
Network | Profit Model | Customer Experience

5. PERSONAL
KNOWLEDGE
SYSTEM
INTEGRATIVE
THINKING
STANCE
TOOLS
EXPERIENCE
Love: Commitment to serve; deliver amazing experience to customers
Growth: Constantly Learning and gaining momentum
Different expertise of the three founders: 1+1+1 > 3
Designer: Creativive | Aesthetic
Engineer: Pragmatic | Motivated
Young Entrepreneur: Visionary | Business-minded
"Going to the source" - Seeking counsel from top experts in field
Acknowledge missteps and go big in response

6. SALIENCE CAUSALITY ARCHITECTURE
B U S I N E S S M O D E L
RESOLUTION
LOWER PRICE ≠ INFERIOR QUALITY
1. SOURCE OF SUPPLY: PROVIDE A
NEW SOURCE OF PLACES FOR
STAYING
2. USER BEHAVIOR: OVERCOME THE
OBSTACLE OF "STRANGER DANGER"
3. MULTI-SIDED PLATFORM:
RESOURCE ALLOCATION
1. COMMUNITY BUILT ON SHARING
2. DEMAND USERS’ TRUST
1. BUSINESS:
- I N V E S T M E N T I N H O T E L B U S I N E S S
- R O L E A S A S E A R C H E N G I N E
2. TARGET CONSUMERS:
- P R I C E C O N S C I O U S
- C O N C E R N E D A B O U T S A F E T Y I S S U E S

7. DISCRIMINATION ISSUES
"We had to explain that the owners
gave us a security code"
A black couple rented a house in
Atlanta and was accused of breaking in
when they entered the home
"Racism and discrimination have no
place on Airbnb"
A host posted a racist, offensive
response to a black guest that
canceled a reservation
Increasing number of complaints
related to discrimination

8. AIRBNB SITUATION ANALYSIS & IMC
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
Crisis management
Stakeholder map

9. HRO PRINCIPLES:
Preoccupation with Failure
Keeping Airbnb safe and enjoyable:
Background checks --> identity verification
May protect users from potentially dangerous
situations but do not account for offensive actions
on the site
Small win --> be especially vigilant when monitoring
user exchanges; take user complaints about
discrimination seriously; require hosts to provide
legitimate reasons if they turn guests away
ANTICIPATION

10. HRO PRINCIPLES:
Reluctance to Simplify
Simplified the vetting process; did not fully
consider the potential for discrimination on
the site
Small win --> perform regular audits or
remove on flagged guests for
inappropriate behavior
Sensitivity to Operations
Communicates a message of acceptance
Small win --> align operational decisions
with IMC-driven marketing content
ANTICIPATION

11. HRO PRINCIPLES:
CONTAINMENT
Commitment to Resilience
Swift response to hateful comments
Zero tolerance policy
Small win --> treat platform as a way to
connect people with people (not just
houses/apartments)
Deference to Expertise
Consulting outside help to "lead a review of
Airbnb practices"
Small win --> communicate these ongoing
efforts to combat discrimination to its users

12. STAKEHOLDER MAP

13. ACTIONS BEING TAKEN
Formulating stricter Anti-Bias and Non-
Discrimination policies
Reducing prominent use of user photographs
to avoid discrimination against race and
gender
Still concerns that new policies won’t be
enforced enough or that current changes are
not enough
Each host and guest must commit and adhere
to AirB&B community commitment
"I agree to treat everyone in the Airbnb
community—regardless of their race, religion,
national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender
identity, sexual orientation, or age—with
respect, and without judgment or bias.”

14. BELONG
ANYWHERE
CULTURE
W E A C C E P T
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yetFk7QoSck

15. & INTERNAL
COMMUNICATIONS
AIRBNB
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
"AIRFAM"

16. "DON'T
F**K UP
THE
CULTURE."
“Culture is simply a shared way of doing something with passion”
“Our culture is the foundation for our company”
“The culture is what creates the foundation for all future
innovation. If you break the culture, you break the machine that
creates your products”

17. INVESTING IN THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE
MARK LEVY, GLOBAL
HEAD OF EMPLOYEE
EXPERIENCE
Employee Experience
department replaces HR
Learning
and Organizational Development
Facilities and Environmental
Design
Food Programs
Global Citizenship
Diversity and Belonging
“Sustainable Performance — the
intersection of wellness and way
of working”

18. People don’t actually have a desk
Landing Zones where people can recharge
their laptop, or hang their belongings, lock
their belongings up for the night, and
provides flexible space for them to move
around
A library for employees who need quiet
space
Meeting rooms for groups that need to
collaborate
A MODERN TAKE ON
OFFICE SPACE
“Trying to create a workspace that feels like
home”

19. HONEST, TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION
Bi-weekly “world meetings” which joined by
every employee globally via livestream
Executives meet weekly, and within 24
hours following this meeting, Levy sends
out notes to every person in the company”
“Our rule of thumb is that
nobody should hear about
anything externally until
we’ve told them internally” -
Levy
“… People really appreciate
knowing what we’re talking
about and ask questions,
share thoughts and ideas” -
Levy

20. STANCE
ELEPHANTS
EXPERIENCE
Brad Price
DEAD FISH VOMIT
“Elephants are
the big things in
the room that
nobody is talking
about”
NOMENCLATURE TO OPEN UP
DIALOGUE
“Dead fish are the
things that happened
a few years ago that
people can’t get over”
“Vomit is that
sometimes people
just need to get
something off their
mind and you need
someone to just sit
there and listen”

21. Updates everyone on employee birthdays
and anniversaries.
Hosts a page for each employee and office
so people can get to know each other and
build their internal networks.
COMMUNICATE AND
CELEBRATE
Recently developed and launched an intranet
Ground Control
Tasked with looking after the workplace
environment, internal communications,
employee recognition, celebration and
events
Done through pop-up birthday celebrations,
anniversaries, or baby showers as well as
creative themed events in based on holidays
or events

22. RITUALS AND TRADITIONS
STANCE
GROUND
CONTROL
EXPERIENCE
Brad Price
EMPLOYEE
CONFERENCE
VOLUNTEER
TIME
VACATION
REWARDS

23. 01
02
03
RECOMMENDATIONS
Promote Airbnb as a platform to
connect people with people, not just
people with platforms
GOLD HOUSE DEALS
Estates priced from $300,000 to
$600,000 will be offered the Gold House
Deal, managed by a team of agents
DIAMOND HOUSE DEALS
$1,000,000 priced estates will be offered
the Diamond House Deal managed by the
supreme team of agents
Cultural/Racial Sensitivity: work on re-
instilling trust in the Chinese markets
as well as into new international
markets (CEO was not informed)
Build relationships with local businesses
to help enhance experiences for
consumer’s stay

24. THANK YOU
Questions?
Lainey Fox| Anthony Fleet| Jiawei Li| Katie More| Priya Ramanathan| Chloe Jiayang Sun