Uber's recently-installed chief laid out a moral creed for the controversy-battered ride-sharing firm Tuesday, urging employees to "do the right thing."
"The culture and approach that got Uber where it is today is not what will get us to the next level," Uber[1] chief Dara Khosrowshahi said in a message to workers shared in an online post[2].
"As we move from an era of growth at all costs to one of responsible growth, our culture needs to evolve."
Uber hired Expedia[3] boss Khosrowshahi as its new chief executive in August[4] in the hopes he can steer the ridesharing service away from the string of controversies it has faced in the past year.
Khosrowshahi is credited with turning Expedia into a global travel services behemoth, winning admiration from employees along the way.
New Uber workplace "norms" outlined by Khosrowshahi included celebrating diverse backgrounds, along with "We do the right thing - period."
'Toe-stepping'
While speaking at a Wall Street Journal technology conference last month, Uber board member Arianna Huffington blamed a "burnout culture" for fuelling sexism at the world's leading smartphone-summoned ride sharing service.
Huffington credited Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick[5] with driving the startup to a nearly $70 billion valuation - even though he was ousted as boss in June for presiding over a cutthroat workplace culture, harassment, discrimination and questionable business tactics to thwart rivals.
Khosrowshahi is the steady hand needed now on the wheel, Huffington said.
Huffington spoke of a Silicon Valley culture that overlooks transgressions of "top performers" who deliver results.
In his message to employees, Khosrowshahi cited an Uber practice of "toe-stepping," which he said was intended to let people...