Microsoft makes a big bet that it can fix Activision Blizzard’s troubled culture
Beyond that, there’s a group of employees at an Activision-owned studio pushing to unionize in a rare move for the industry. A union would be a first for the gaming company and for Microsoft’s US-based employees. The effort was largely spurred by what the workers claim was a lack of transparency surrounding recent layoffs in their division.
Some labor experts have also suggested the blockbuster deal could have a spillover effect by alienating some of Microsoft’s own employees.
“That can be a discouraging message and one that doesn’t feel rooted in values of inclusion,” Hutchinson added.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said culture is his “number one priority” as he stressed the importance of righting Activision Blizzard’s workplace during a conference call last week discussing the acquisition. Microsoft is “supportive” of the work Activision Blizzard is doing, Nadella said, while also noting that once the deal is closed, Microsoft will have “significant work to do in order to continue to build a culture where everyone can do their best work.”
“The success of this acquisition will depend on it,” added Nadella.
Can Microsoft fix Activision’s culture and preserve its own?
Before the deal was announced, Activision Blizzard had already been criticized for what workers and shareholders called an insufficient response to the issues surfaced in recent months.
He said the company has thus far seemed “to be very reluctant to even disclose its current efforts.” He added: “The longer you let these problems fester, the more difficult it will be for Microsoft to fix them.”
In a statement for this article, Activision Blizzard spokesperson Jessica Taylor said the company’s “top priority” is “creating a workplace culture where everyone feels supported, safe, and welcome with the goal of becoming an industry leader in workplace excellence.”
“Over the last several months, we’ve announced a number of impactful measures and commitments, but we know our work is far from done,” the statement said.
Waizenegger noted that the hope is for Microsoft to…
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