Kasada is an Australian technology company operating globally and providing a leading service for organisations to defend against bot attacks on their computer server systems. You need a strong product and a strong set of values to fight against high-tech crime, so it may be no surprise the company won an award (in the 2022 Great Place to Work survey) for the strong workplace culture behind it. With staff rating Kasada at almost twice as high as the average for most other Australian companies, their key reasons for why the work culture is so positive were a clear vision, good leadership and a supportive work environment.19 This leads to a company with young, tech-savvy, motivated people working collaboratively with large organisations globally to stave off cybercrime attacks on their systems. Much like an army patrol fighting in a battle, if it were not for a strong, cohesive, collaborative culture with everyone covering each other’s backs, how else could the enemy be overcome? The founder and CEO of Kasada, Sam Crowther, says to win the Great Place to Work award shows Kasada’s been following the right approach, but he will keep watching employee feedback to be sure the company evolves where needed. For now, the strong values of the company are guidance for its people, and the values include delivering positive impact; embracing differences and empowering others; being bold, collaborative and innovative; and continuously seeking to understand, build trust and enhance confidentiality.
Questions
1. Do you agree that Kasada can realise a competitive advantage through its strong culture?
2. Is the company value of embracing differences and empowering others equally sustainable for building a strong culture in the short and longer terms?
3. Do you feel that Kasada’s efforts to create a strong culture might one day have negative consequences for the company? Explain your answer.