In his effort to support public interest, EBay founder Pierre Omidyar declared to embark on the creation of a mass media organization. Omidyar wrote in a post that he considered buying the Washington Post, which was ultimately sold to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com. Omidyar’s change of mind is likely due to his desire of “position[ing] the company any way he wishes[, and] not have the lingering past perception from the Washington Post to be in his way”, as mentioned by Krista in her blog.
This is a smart move from an organizational behaviour perspective. The already established corporate culture of Washington Post can become a liability if the new shareholders’ value goes against the environment of the company. If Omidyar had purchased Washington Post, he would eventually have to develop strategies, such as assimilation, in an effort to create a effective, functioning, new culture.
In my opinion, Omidyar’s new venture might encounter a lot of difficulties, such as intensive government regulations. Nevertheless, the innovative mind that founded the world’s leading e-commerce website might just prove the views of his opponents wrong in his genius way.
Krista’s blog and link:
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/ebay-founder-plans-independent-news-venture-wants-engaged-citizens-8C11406533