Questions:
1. In the summer of 2017, Transport of London (TfL) began proceedings to revoke Ubers permit to operate in London. How do think Ubers poor corporate reputation may have been a factor in TfL's thinking?
2. What steps do you think Ubers new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, needs to take to repair Ubers reputation?
3. Despite Ubers apparent success in launching in multiple markets, it continues to post quarterly losses in the millions and shareholders effectively subsidize 59 percent of every ride (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uber-profitability/true- price-of-an-uber-ride-in-question-asinvestors-assess-firms-value-idUSKCN1B3103). How is this an outworking of Ubers overall corporate culture?
4. What specific ethical concerns, UBER should have addressed while going through this phase?
5. Recommend the right leadership style that should have address all their stakeholders trust and confidence?
Uber's Need for an Ethical Leader Amour since ins initial founding in 2009 as a lumury car service for the San Francisce area, contriversy has followed Uber. Many complants are against the tactics employed by the company's founder and former CEO, Travs katanick bus the effects are found throughour the bunimess and is eperations. In 2000 . Uberfack was a "bleck car" service, a high-end doming service thut cost more than a tavi but less than Hiring a private driver for the night. It wasn't unta 2012 that the company launched Uberx the taxieseue service mort people think of todey when they say "Uber." The Ubex service concracted wath private drivers who provided nides in their personul vehicles. A customer would une Uber's smartphone app to request the ride, and a private driver would show up. Originally Lionched in San Francisca, the service spreod quickly, and by 2017 , Uber was in 633 catek. The senice was halled by many as innovative and the free mikhe's arswer to high-priced and sometimes unreliabl taxi servees. fut uber has not been wehout iss crikist boch inside and outyibe of the company. In 2013, as the Uberx senvice spread, same UberBbck drivers protested at the coempunys headouarters complaining about poor compary benefis and pay. They also claimed that competition from the newly launched uberx service was cuting into their sales and undermining iob security, Kalanickrebufled the protests, basically calling the complaints sour grapes, mont of the protestors had been lad off earier for poor service (Lawler 2013). Controveny abo arose over the use of contratt deivers rather than fult-ime employoes. Contractors complained about a lack of benefits and low wages. Competitors, especinly tax services, complained that they were being unfainy undercut because tber didnt hwe to abide by the same screening process and costs that tradicional yellow tasi companies did. Some municipalities agreed. argung further than Uber's lack of or insulicent sereening of drtwers put passengers at rikk. Uber quichly generated a repuation as a bully and Kalanick as an unethical leader (A.n 2016). The compary has been acoused of coverng up cases of senal assult, and kalarick himself has been quoted as calling the service "Boob-er," a reforence to uing the senve to pick up women (Aen 2016). Uber has been criticized for its recruiting practicec in particular, it has bees accised of brbing decwers working for compectors 50 which over and drive for Uber (Ann 2016. The company was aho caughts making fatse driver requents for competing componies and then canceling the crder. The effect was to waste the other driver's time and make it more deficul for customers to secure rides on the competing servike (ororazio 2014) sumanj. Fowier, former wice relablily engineer at Uber, wert public with canes of outright sexuat harassment within Uber (Fowler 2017. Former employees described Uber's corporite culture as an "a*thole culture" and a "Hobbenan jungle" where you can never ges ahead unless someone else dies " (Wong 2017 ) One employee dexcribed a lesdership that encour aged a compuny practice of developing incomplete solutions for the purpose of beating the competior to market. Fowler went so tar as to compare the experience to Game of Thrones, and other former employess even consider "making is" at Uber a black mark on a resume (Wong 2017 ) In terms of social acrimony and PR dasters, arousbly caused or even encouraged by leadership, Uber's fise to notoriety has argusbly been more bad than pood. in fune 2017, Kalanick mede one too mary: Sources Ann, Carne. 2016, "Uber is in Dere Need of Ethical LeaderiNp. " Induasry Leaders. hutpsiliwwi.industryleadersmagarne,com/uber-diveneed echicalleadershipl D'Orasio, Oante. 2014, "Uber employees spammed competing car servce weth take colers." the verge hitpp://wwwitheverge com/2014/1/24/3342582/uber-employees spanmed-competing-car service with-fake orders Fowler, Susan 1. 2017, "Reflecting on One Veny, Very Strange Year at Uber." htsps//wmos susanfowier com/blog/2017/2/19/ceflecting-on-one-ven-itrange-year-at-Gber Lawler, Ayan, 2013. "See, Uber - This is What Rappens When rou Cannibalise Yourself." Techcruch com. hitps://echcrunch.com/2013/3/15/see-uber this-1s what-heppem-when-you cannibalize-yourself The Guardian hetpe/lwww theguardiancomviechnology/2017/mar/07/uber work-oulture-cravis- Uber's Need for an Ethical Leader Amour since ins initial founding in 2009 as a lumury car service for the San Francisce area, contriversy has followed Uber. Many complants are against the tactics employed by the company's founder and former CEO, Travs katanick bus the effects are found throughour the bunimess and is eperations. In 2000 . Uberfack was a "bleck car" service, a high-end doming service thut cost more than a tavi but less than Hiring a private driver for the night. It wasn't unta 2012 that the company launched Uberx the taxieseue service mort people think of todey when they say "Uber." The Ubex service concracted wath private drivers who provided nides in their personul vehicles. A customer would une Uber's smartphone app to request the ride, and a private driver would show up. Originally Lionched in San Francisca, the service spreod quickly, and by 2017 , Uber was in 633 catek. The senice was halled by many as innovative and the free mikhe's arswer to high-priced and sometimes unreliabl taxi servees. fut uber has not been wehout iss crikist boch inside and outyibe of the company. In 2013, as the Uberx senvice spread, same UberBbck drivers protested at the coempunys headouarters complaining about poor compary benefis and pay. They also claimed that competition from the newly launched uberx service was cuting into their sales and undermining iob security, Kalanickrebufled the protests, basically calling the complaints sour grapes, mont of the protestors had been lad off earier for poor service (Lawler 2013). Controveny abo arose over the use of contratt deivers rather than fult-ime employoes. Contractors complained about a lack of benefits and low wages. Competitors, especinly tax services, complained that they were being unfainy undercut because tber didnt hwe to abide by the same screening process and costs that tradicional yellow tasi companies did. Some municipalities agreed. argung further than Uber's lack of or insulicent sereening of drtwers put passengers at rikk. Uber quichly generated a repuation as a bully and Kalanick as an unethical leader (A.n 2016). The compary has been acoused of coverng up cases of senal assult, and kalarick himself has been quoted as calling the service "Boob-er," a reforence to uing the senve to pick up women (Aen 2016). Uber has been criticized for its recruiting practicec in particular, it has bees accised of brbing decwers working for compectors 50 which over and drive for Uber (Ann 2016. The company was aho caughts making fatse driver requents for competing componies and then canceling the crder. The effect was to waste the other driver's time and make it more deficul for customers to secure rides on the competing servike (ororazio 2014) sumanj. Fowier, former wice relablily engineer at Uber, wert public with canes of outright sexuat harassment within Uber (Fowler 2017. Former employees described Uber's corporite culture as an "a*thole culture" and a "Hobbenan jungle" where you can never ges ahead unless someone else dies " (Wong 2017 ) One employee dexcribed a lesdership that encour aged a compuny practice of developing incomplete solutions for the purpose of beating the competior to market. Fowler went so tar as to compare the experience to Game of Thrones, and other former employess even consider "making is" at Uber a black mark on a resume (Wong 2017 ) In terms of social acrimony and PR dasters, arousbly caused or even encouraged by leadership, Uber's fise to notoriety has argusbly been more bad than pood. in fune 2017, Kalanick mede one too mary: Sources Ann, Carne. 2016, "Uber is in Dere Need of Ethical LeaderiNp. " Induasry Leaders. hutpsiliwwi.industryleadersmagarne,com/uber-diveneed echicalleadershipl D'Orasio, Oante. 2014, "Uber employees spammed competing car servce weth take colers." the verge hitpp://wwwitheverge com/2014/1/24/3342582/uber-employees spanmed-competing-car service with-fake orders Fowler, Susan 1. 2017, "Reflecting on One Veny, Very Strange Year at Uber." htsps//wmos susanfowier com/blog/2017/2/19/ceflecting-on-one-ven-itrange-year-at-Gber Lawler, Ayan, 2013. "See, Uber - This is What Rappens When rou Cannibalise Yourself." Techcruch com. hitps://echcrunch.com/2013/3/15/see-uber this-1s what-heppem-when-you cannibalize-yourself The Guardian hetpe/lwww theguardiancomviechnology/2017/mar/07/uber work-oulture-cravis
