Re: Mental Models by Org Type LO3162

mbayers@mmm.com
Fri, 13 Oct 1995 15:16:40 -0500

In reply to LO3133 --

> If the organization accepts that success in different parts of the
> business is associated with different cultures, what are the
> implications for learning in different parts of the business?

One of the mental models which plagues my organization is this -- we are
in fact one organization! Maybe my organization (3M) is atypical, but I
think we are several organizations somehow federated together.

As a consequence of our being several organizations, we in fact have
several different cultures. Let me use the language put forth in the work
of Treacy and Wiersema (HBR, Jan/Feb93) . . ..

Some (indeed, the most visible) parts of the overall enterprise have a
-product leadership- focus. That is, goodness is innovation,
characterized by state-of-the-art products and services. Another part of
the enterprise, say the manufacturing plants involved in what have become
commodities (e.g., diskettes), have an -operational excellence- focus.
That is, goodness lies in minized costs of production consistent with the
desired level of quality. Yet another part of the enterprise, my group in
Information Technology, has a focus on -customer intimacy-. That is, we
want to shape our good and services to match our customers needs with an
increasingly fine definition.

One enterprise -- one corporation -- but three -organizations-? Certainly
three different cultures.

--
Michael Ayers
mbayers@mmm.com        (612) 733-5690      FAX (612) 737-7718
IT Education Svcs/3M Center 224-2NE-02/PO Box 33224/St Paul MN 55133-3224
-   Ideas expressed in this note represent the author's thinking   -
-          and do not represent the positions of anyone else       -
-  I take credit for the implications, you do for the inferences!  -