Re: Sustainable Advantage LO1953

Dr. Ivan Blanco (BLANCO@BU4090.BARRY.EDU)
Thu, 6 Jul 1995 9:23:15 -0400 (EDT)

Replying to LO1872 --

> From: Carol Anne Ogdin <Carol_Anne_Ogdin@deepwoods.com>
> Date: 29 Jun 95 12:18:26 EDT
>
<<< Good stuff deleted here >>>
> At core, I agree with your "encourage the periphery" concept.
> But in the hallowed halls of Mahogany Row where the principal
> business for many company's executives is to assure each other
> that "You're OK; I'm OK", that concept falls on deaf ears. Un-
> fortunately, IBM fit that description in the mid-80s to early-90s.
>

Carol, I love your response. I wpould add to that that companies
like IBM may not hear those "scream" anymore. I said that IBM was
ignoring the screams because customers who had the need for equipment,
etc., other than mainframes were looking at IBM (The COmputer Company...
then!), for solutions. In today's market those customers needing
something different may just go to NEC, HP, ATT, CompUSA, and so many
other companies all over the world. When discuss the major changes in
competition, I insist that the most serious one is competition itself! In
the past a company like GM, for instance, would hear complaints and other
demands from its customers. This represents the "screams", the kick in
the ..... Today, customers would just change company in a generally
silent way. No complaints, just buy from some else...

By the way your description of how executives and others hang on
to their "world" of mainframes, and ignored the "screams" might be what is
happening to our educational systems here in the U.S. A lot of screams
and a lot of people trying to find ways to fix (really maintain!) the
status quo becuase it was good...

Ivan,

--
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  R. IVAN BLANCO, Ph.D.                        Voice 305 899-3515
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     "Las naciones marchan hacia el termino de su grandeza, con
  el mismo paso que camina su educacion." "The nations march      
  toward their greatness at the same pace as their educational    
  systems evolve." Simon Bolivar
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