Title: Joby: Individual Behavior

Length: 7:22

Synopsis: Joby is best known for its line of flexible camera tripods, called Gorillapods. The company considers itself a consumer products lifestyle brand and focuses much creative energy on anticipating needs customers cannot articulate. Joby hires passionate employees, treats them as valued stakeholders, and empowers them to make innovative decisions.

Classroom Application: Instructors will find this video helpful when discussing organizational behavior—job satisfaction, job involvement, commitment, and engagement. See discussion questions 1 and 2. The video also is helpful when discussing motivation and strategies for settling conflict. See discussion questions 3 and 4.

Discussion Questions:

1. Joby customers use their products in ways beyond what the creators originally imagined. How does this affect new product creation at Joby?

Answer: Joby customers use their products in ways beyond what the creators originally imagined, so, when creating new products, Joby focuses on gaining an intimate understanding of customer needs. According to CEO Forrest Baringer-Jones, Joby performs a great deal of research on product designs and on customer “white space.” In the end, Joby’s produces a new item as a solution to these needs and lets its customers get even more creative from there.

2. What do Joby employees interviewed in the video have to say about how the company values its employees?

Answer: The video interviews several Joby employees—Eric Hale, Director of Industrial Design; Eileen Weinstein, Evangelist Marketing Director; and Scott Ellis, Vice President of Marketing. Each employee gives high praise to Joby for valuing the individual contributions of its employees. They believe that Joby hires “giant personalities,” forms creative work teams that get along well, and empowers employees to make their own decisions regardless of their roles within the company. To make this process feel easier, Joby is open to change and taking risks.

3. How does Joby motivate its employees?

Answer: CEO Forrest Baringer-Jones says that Joby motivates employees by treating them with respect and valuing their individual contributions to the team. There are no cubicles and creative collaboration is encouraged and expected. Joby believes that when their employees view themselves as valued stakeholders rather than tolerated necessities, they will be more passionate about the brand and this passion will drive them to be more creative and productive.

4. What does Joby do to avoid workplace conflict?

Answer: To avoid workplace conflicts in personality or in purpose, Joby strives to respect every employee’s opinion and to encourage healthy debates at appropriate times. To keep people aligned and moving forward, Joby occasionally schedules play time. This time outside the office allows people to return to work recharged and refreshed.

Quiz:

1. What name did Joby give its flexible camera tripod?

a. Gorillapod

b. Flexi-pod

c. Gorillatorch

d. Lens Baby

Answer: a

Explanation: Joby is best known for its line of flexible camera tripods, called Gorillapods.

2. Joby considers itself a “consumer products lifestyle brand” because people sometimes use their products in ways different than what the product creators originally imagined, but that fit the consumer’s lifestyle needs.

a. True

b. False

Answer: a

Explanation: Joby customers use their products in ways beyond what the creators originally imagined, so, when creating new products, Joby focuses on gaining an intimate understanding of customer needs. For this, Joby considers itself a “consumer products lifestyle brand.”

3. What innovation has allowed Joby to create product prototypes more quickly?

a. an extremely flexible PVC

b. a 3-D printer

c. a 3-D computer modeling program

d. an ultra-hold glue, similar to Gorilla Glue

Answer: b

Explanation: Joby uses a 3-D printer to create product prototypes quickly. The printer can render complex interworking parts in a few hours.

4. Eric Hale, Director of Industrial Design, believes the company’s biggest conflicts come from their core group of “diva designers.”

a. True

b. False

Answer: b

Explanation: In his interview, Eric Hale, Director of Industrial Design, says that the company has no “diva designers.”

5. According to CEO Forrest Baringer-Jones, when will Joby close up shop?

a. when he turns 50 years old

b. when the market is saturated with competitive products

c. when the company can no longer grow larger and more businesslike

d. when his employees are no longer passionate for their work

Answer: d

Explanation: CEO Forrest Baringer-Jones says that if the company grows to a point when the employees are no longer passionate about what they do, he will close the company and work on something else.