Monica Eaton, founder and CEO of Chargebacks911, recognizes the need to create a world-class culture one step ahead of innovation. Tech companies thrive on innovation; maintaining the status quo is not an option. Technology alone cannot build a company and make it grow, though; it is a tool that must be wielded strategically and wisely by the human resources that created it.
(TAMPA, Fla.) September 18, 2023 — The current digital era and its technological progeny have created an interconnected, cross-cultural, global interface in which no one is a stranger. The U.S. tech industry constitutes 35% of the worldwide market; there are over 585,000 tech companies nationwide, with approximately 12.2 million tech industry workers as of 2020.1 In theory, tech drives innovation, pushing people to achieve more in less time, always on the cusp of that next great company milestone. However, business leaders like Monica Eaton, Founder and CEO of Chargebacks911, say companies need to invest in the culture of people first to create innovative real-world solutions.
“Silicon Valley has painted a picture of a tech company culture rife with ping-pong tables, napping pods, and chardonnay on tap. It’s kind of like kindergarten for adults,” says Eaton. “But, by most accounts, in this fun and flexible environment, employees actually work more efficiently and with greater vision because they feel more personally invested in the continued success of the company. ‘Work-life balance’ is transforming into the more practical ideal of ‘work-life integration.’”
Aside from foosball, common methods of creating a more positive work environment typically include practices like remote/hybrid work schedules and looser hierarchical structures, encouraging collaboration, communication, and creativity.
Apple creator Steve Jobs is credited with pioneering the alternative work culture.2 In 1997, when Jobs returned to Apple, he initiated a transformative shift in the company’s organizational structure. At that time, Apple followed a conventional corporate framework with separate business units, each holding its own profit and loss (P&L) responsibilities. However, Jobs recognized that this traditional setup stifled innovation within the company.
Jobs dismissed the general managers of every organizational business unit in a single day and implemented radical change. The entire company was consolidated under one P&L structure, while the functional departments of the business units were merged to form a unified and cohesive organization. After nearly four decades and extraordinary growth, Apple continues to adhere to this distinctive and enterprising organizational model despite its size and complexity, preserving the entrepreneurial spirit that drove its early success. The five pillars of the Apple corporate culture are top-notch excellence, creativity, innovation, secrecy, and moderate combativeness.3
Much like Apple, Chargebacks911’s employee culture is integral to their cutting-edge innovation. The company began as a solo consultancy business and has grown into an international firm with more than 350 employees in the US, Europe, and Asia. Chargebacks911 continues to grow at a rapid pace, bringing innovative new fraud solutions for eCommerce merchants and constantly pushing the industry forward through innovation.
To foster a workplace focused on constant innovation, Chargebacks911’s culture revolves around making its employees feel fulfilled and supported. Chargebacks911 features a diverse team that fosters philanthropic and social engagement, starting at the executive level, encouraging involvement and volunteerism. For instance, each employee can nominate a charity to be included in the company’s Take Charge for Charity initiative, where the company makes a weekly donation to a local community nonprofit. The program has been ongoing for nearly 300 consecutive weeks, continuing to offer support to organizations that employees care about most.
Chargebacks911 has built a health-focused and inclusive culture featuring a plethora of in-office wellness activities for the physical and mental well-being of employees. In addition to having a gym and personal trainer on-site, as well as an in-office career coach, the company consistently hosts company-wide potlucks, costume contests, massage therapy sessions, and out-of-office team-building activities like laser tag and kickball tournaments.
“While these activities are fun in and of themselves, it’s the effect that it has on our employees that is the true value of this type of company culture,” says Ben Bridwell, President of Chargebacks911 and Fi911. “We want to show our team that they are valued and help create a fulfilling environment where hard work and fun can — and do — go together. We want them to be confident and supported in reaching their goals and ambitions and know that their concerns are our concerns. Through this, we find that our workforce is much more dedicated and motivated.”
The Tampa Bay Times honored Chargebacks911, naming them one of the region’s best workplaces in 2017. So far, in 2023, the company has received five Top Workplaces USA awards for innovation and work-life flexibility.
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About Monica Eaton
As an acclaimed entrepreneur, speaker, and author, Monica Eaton is widely recognized as a thought leader in the FinTech industry and a champion of women in technology. She established her entrepreneurial credentials upon selling her first business at the age of 19. When a subsequent eCommerce venture was plagued by revenue-leeching chargebacks and fraud, Eaton rose to the challenge by developing a robust solution that combined human insight and agile technology. Today, her innovations are used by thousands of companies worldwide, cementing her reputation as one of the payment industry’s foremost experts in risk management, chargeback mitigation, and fraud prevention. Monica Eaton is honored to be the recipient of various industry awards. Her own expertise, as well as the services provided by her companies, has been recognized as outstanding by her peers and other industry leaders. Visit www.monicaec.com.
References
- 25 trending tech industry statistics [2023]: Tech industry demographics, worth and more. Zippia. (2023, June 30). zippia.com/advice/tech-
industry-statistics/. - How Apple is organized for Innovation. Harvard Business Review. (2023, April 11). hbr.org/2020/11/how-apple-is-
organized-for-innovation. - Meyer, P. (2022, July 1). Apple Inc.’s Organizational Culture; its characteristics (an analysis). Panmore Institute. panmore.com/apple-inc-
organizational-culture- features-implications#:~:text= The%20following%20are%20the% 20main,Innovation.
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