Full Description
IBM was the world's leading provider of information technologies for much of the twentieth century. What made it so successful for such a long time, and what lessons can this iconic corporation teach present-day enterprises?
James W. Cortada—a business historian who worked at IBM for many years—pinpoints the crucial role of IBM's corporate culture. He provides an inside look at how this culture emerged and evolved over the course of nearly a century, bringing together the perspectives of employees, executives, and customers around the world. Through a series of case studies, Inside IBM explores the practices that built and reinforced organizational culture, including training of managers, employee benefits, company rituals, and the role of humor. It also considers the importance of material culture, such as coffee mugs and lapel pins.
Cortada argues that IBM's corporate culture aligned with its business imperatives for most of its history, allowing it to operate with a variety of stakeholders in mind and not simply prioritize stockholders. He identifies key lessons that managers can learn from IBM's experience and apply in their own organizations today. This engaging and deeply researched book holds many insights for business historians, executives and managers concerned with stakeholder relations, professionals interested in corporate culture, and IBMers.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
1. From Theories of Corporate Cultures to the Realities of Life inside a Global Enterprise
Part I. Cases from The Larger Picture of IBM's Corporate Culture
2. Role of Ethics in Corporate Culture: Enduring Beliefs at IBM
3. "The IBM Way": Creating and Sustaining a Corporate Image and Reputation
4. Developing Managers in a Multinational Corporation
5. How IBM Prevented Unionization of its American Workforce
6. Corporate Benefits in Boom Periods: IBM's American Experience
7. Managing A Nearly Invisible Corporate Community: "IBM Families"
Part II: Cases from IBM's Material Culture
8. From Lapel Pins to Coffee Cups: Links Between Corporate and Material Culture
9. Role of Postcards in Supporting IBM's Image, Marketing, and Information Ecosystem
10. Humor and Corporate Culture: IBM, Cartoons and the Good Laugh
11. Gray Literature in IBM's Information Ecosystem
Part III: How IBM's Culture Went Global and Endured
12. The Essential Strategy for Corporate Success
Author's Note: In the Spirit of Transparency
Notes
Index
