Tony
I don't know if Senge talks about IBM .. because I don't have all of
Senge's books.
IBM until the early 90's operated pretty much country by country. Its
consulting practice was no exception. Within Europe, we learned from each
other at European level classes: we usually had meetings and training at
the La Hulpe, Brussels centre. Common approaches were taught, but we were
left to operate "as our native cultures allowed".
In the early 90's this changed. IBM formed a World Wide Consultancy.
This was to have a common approach wherever you were operating. I believe
they recruited one of the director level officers of one of the US "big 5"
to head-up and lead this new aspect of the corporation.
Certainly by 1993, this mode of operation was working. The world-wide
crusade in terms of setting the mission and the approach, and offering
world-wide courses was under way. I recall that we were told that the
same set of courses were being given in the UK as Brazil. Consequently,
consultants worked cross national borders far more than they had ever
before; skill/expertise and ability with the target national language
being the critical factors.
Contact IBM Japan: I'm sure they will tell how they operate their arm of
the World Wide Consultancy.
Roy Greenhalgh
Roy Greenhalgh Associates
Townwell House Cromhall Gloucestershire GL12 8AQ UK
Telephone: +44(0)1454.294200
--Roy Greenhalgh <rgreenh@ibm.net>
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