3M and Norton
Evolutionary vs. Classical Strategic Management
A Case Study from Jim Collins & Jerry Porras, Built to Last, 1997
Questions for Discussion
(1) 3M’s strategy contradicts nearly everything that an MBA program is supposed to teach you about planning and control. Explain:
a. How would marketing studies and product planning benefit 3M in producing more successful products?
b. How 3M can expect to survive in the long run if it is unable to compute the return on investment and cash flow of each project in which it invests?
c. Whether or not 3M actually has a ‘stealth’ planning system?
d. What is the risk associated with 3M’s strategy?
e. What alternatives can produce the same return without the risk associated with 3M’s strategy?
(2) 3M seems to be quite lenient with managers whose projects fail to meet ROI targets. Can you think of a way to prevent 3M’s product failures and keep generating profitable products? What would such a strategy look like?......
Join Now or Login to view the rest of this paper.
Approximate Word Count: 5949
Approximate Pages: 23 (260 words per double-spaced page) |