This was sent to me out of nowhere, but it seemed sort of interesting. It does bring to mind a theory I've been turning over in my head that a partial explanation for the behaviour of the larger car companies is this: They probably have studied that, 100 years ago, there were a lot of Entrepeneurial car companies, many of which no longer existed 20 or 40 years later. So, I've been thinking that they're trying to forestall returning the car industry to any sort of purely competitive entrepeneurial age. They've played king-of-the-hill, they've won, and so the challenge for their shareholders is to stay on top, not to keep innovating all the time. They still innovate and improve and compete, but I think it's modified so that if there is abrupt change or innovation, it's managed in some attempt to protect most of the status-quo pecking order.
>U.S. automakers have tried repeatedly to jumpstart their growth, but even >spectacular gambles such as the deal between Daimler and Chrysler, have >largely failed--as the Kirk Kerkorian trial is making abundantly clear. The >carmakers, like many other institutions from K Mart to W.R. Grace, would seem >to prove the truism that big companies can't keep growing forever: They >stagnate and often die, despite mergers and acquisitions and other efforts to >drive organic growth. > >Now, Thomas K. Stallkamp, former Chrysler president and vice-chairman, has >teamed with Joel M. Shulman, a leading researcher and professor of >entrepreneurship, to develop a better mousetrap for nurturing growth from >within big companies like U.S. car companies. Their new book, Getting Bigger >By Growing Smaller, advocates extending corporate growth by setting up >strategic entrepreneurial units (SEUs). The SEU model provides opportunities >for entrepreneurs both internal and external to a big company to partner with >it for their mutual gain and for long-term growth. > >As the book explains, the SEU borrows the best of other attempts to drive >internal entrepreneurship and from the venture capital model while solving the >shortcomings of these approaches. In particular, the SEU overcomes problems >with both compensation incentives that reward short-term actions and the focus >of VCs, investment bankers and managers on short-term deal "harvests" at the >expense of long-term strategic growth. The book cites Microsoft, Baxter, 3Com >and others for successfully employing some or all of the techniques of an SEU. > >Getting Bigger By Growing Smaller explains in detail how to proceed with the >SEU model, including >á when to use an SEU >á implementing an SEU >á how to use SEUs in conjunction with traditional research and >development and venture initiatives >á attracting and retaining entrepreneurial employees >á effectively compensating employees without the lure of an imminent >IPO >á ways to finance the SEU >á overcoming obstacles presented by conventional middle management > >If you'd like to interview the authors and/or receive a copy of the book, >please call ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3exGAA/qnsNAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/index.php?list=biofuel Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
