AbstractThis article examines the management, marketing, and human resource practices of two Internet search companies through the lens of the Cube One framework, a three‐dimensional model of the determinants of organizational performance that posits that successful organizations must simultaneously meet the needs of customers, employees, and the providers of capital. A detailed examination of enacted practices reveals that Google, which has been extraordinarily successful, has succeeded in all three regards. In contrast, AltaVista, which went out of business, did not. The Cube One framework, then, is useful for explaining differences in organizational performance and can serve as a guide for managing organizations in a globally competitive environment. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.