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Beyond Brainstorming
When leaders, consultants and managers require ideas, they automatically tend to herd people into a room and conduct a (usually ineffective) brainstorming session. One reason for their ineffectiveness is a failure to consider the impact of group...
Creativity Management – Overcoming Blocks
There are essentially two groups of blocks, the first being evaluation apprehension or evaluation anxiety and the second being task hindrance.
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can...
Five Ways To Boost Your Initiative FAST!
*Article Use Guidelines* This copyrighted article is free for you to use as content in opt-in publications, or on your Web site. When you use it in opt- in publications, or on a Web site, please include the resource box. However, please do not...
Small Cards, Big Ideas: Alternative Uses for Business Cards
Aggressive business card marketing isn't about handing your business cards out to everyone you see. The card itself must have a new use, an innovative design, or something other than the usual contact information printed on it. To make your little...
The Benefits of EQ Coaching for Mid-Level Executives and Professionals
The majority of CEOs, executives and professionals are left-brained -- analytical, linear, and focused. They are good with numbers, and in communication tend to listen to the actual word spoken, word-by-word, missing the nuances, the expressions,...
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DaimlerChrysler: Merger or Acquisition?
In 1998 Daimler-Benz and the Chrysler Corporation tied the knot.
The newly created DaimlerChrysler [DCX] conglomerate was touted
in the business world as a merger of equals with both companies
retaining their unique and distinct identities. Soon after the
merger the honeymoon period abruptly ended and the rancor began.
Diametrically opposite management and cultural differences
contributed to deep divisions which nearly scuttled the new
relationship. Today, things are much different than they were in
1998; however it remains to be seen whether the long term
partnership between the German and American automakers will
outlast the deep, mutual distrust that prevailed for so many
years.
A changing global automobile market during the final decade of
the 20th century signaled the end of small, independent
automakers. Although fairly large in size, the Chrysler
Corporation, which nearly vanished in the early 1980s, was once
again nearing a crisis point: a rapidly changing market meant
that large amounts of cash would be needed to keep their product
line up to date as well as to take their product to emerging and
lucrative new markets. Unlike in the early 1980s when the US
federal government stepped in with much needed cash, no
government suitor was expected this time around. For Chrysler,
the long term strategy strongly suggested that the automaker
would have to be acquired in order to survive. In stepped
Daimler-Benz.
At first, the merger was hailed as the deal of the century. The
combined automakers, roughly the same size, quickly became the
fifth largest automaker in the world. Combining German
engineering - Mercedes being the principle business - and North
American marketing - the Jeep line and the Chrysler minivans
being the biggest draw - many envisioned that the new company
would quickly capture a bigger slice of the global market.
Unfortunately, the dream was nearly scuttled and for the
following reasons:
An American president of the Chrysler Group, Jim Holden, was
replaced by a German appointee, Dieter Zetsche. This change
occurred as Chrysler was experiencing difficulty in the
marketplace; additional senior American personnel had also left
and were replaced by German executives too. Some felt that the
Germans were imposing their will on the Americans.
Billionaire shareholder Kirk Kerkorian who owned 36
million shares of Chrysler before the merger and now held
significant number of shares of DCX stock, filed suit in 2000
alleging that certain Daimler-Benz officials has
committed
"fraud and deceit" in orchestrating the merger.
Adding fuel to the fire was the closing out of the Plymouth
brand. Already suspicious of German intentions and knowing
full well that the "merger of equals" was, in fact, an
acquisition of Chrysler by Daimler-Benz, the ending of the
Plymouth brand escalated fears that the Chrysler Group would
fade into the background.
Fortunately, time has eased some of the friction and the
Chrysler Group [defined as the part of DaimlerChrysler that was
at one time the Chrysler Corporation] has benefited from the
merger in several ways, including:
New Mercedes inspired products. The Chrysler Crossfire
was the first of several new Mercedes inspired products to find
their way into the Chrysler Group. Made in Germany, the
Crossfire is essentially a rebadged Mercedes roadster, a model
that the top of the line Chrysler division never had.
Strengthening of the Dodge name. Already a decent
performer, the Dodge division has received several Mercedes M
class inspired models including the Magnum and the Charger. The
Viper has been redone, the Ram trucks updated, and the Neon is
in the process of being replaced. Dodge market share is
increasing even in the face of strong foreign competition.
Fresh blood for Jeep. An all new 7 passenger Commander
has hit the streets and additional products are being planned.
Likely, Mercedes would have survived without a merger, while
Chrysler would not have. Overcoming strong cultural differences
- German authoritarian vs. American creativity - has kept the
company afloat. Some are crediting Zetsche's understanding of
the American company and culture with easing tensions, thus
allowing the companies to benefit from what they have in common
versus their differences.
Certainly, the rancor that existed just a few years ago seems to
have eased. For DCX to survive and grow a mutual trust and
respect of German and American cultural differences and business
practices is necessary. Without both, renewed hostilities will
surface and potentially scuttle what is still perceived by many
as to be a fragile business relationship.
About the author:
Copyright 2005 -- Matt Keegan is a contributing writer
for Auto Parts
Canada, a wholesaler of fine Mercedes parts and Mercedes Benz accessories for your
Mercedes Benz truck, van, SUV, or passenger car.
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| Creativity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| National Curriculum in Action - Creativity - |
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| Ten Steps for Boosting Your Creativity |
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| www.creativityatwork.com |
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| Crayola Creativity Central |
| Crayola Creativity Central offers kids arts and crafts ideas for rainy day fun. We also have coloring books and pages, art and craft projects, games, ... |
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| Pages tagged with "creativity" on del.icio.us |
| All items tagged creativity ??? view popular ... Perspective for Creative Leaders · save this. by aromay to creativity business management ... 1 hour ago ... |
| del.icio.us |
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| Creativity Web - Resources for Creativity and Innovation |
| Creativity Web Home Page Resources for Creativity and Innovation ... The Creative Process · Multiple Intelligences · Idea Recording · Your Creative Space ... |
| members.optusnet.com.au |
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| gapingvoid: "cartoons drawn on the back of business cards": how to ... |
| So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. ... Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion ... |
| www.gapingvoid.com |
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| Quotes on Creativity - part of a larger collection of Wisdom Quotes to challenge and inspire. Find Creativity quotations and links to quotes on other ... |
| www.wisdomquotes.com |
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| Ideas by Creativity Pool |
| A free database with new ideas and possible inventions. Add your own, or bring an existing idea to life. |
| www.creativitypool.com |
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| CREATIVITY |
| Creative problem solving depends on using the right tools, tricks, ... Search for the latest books on Creativity (or anything else) in the Quantum Books ... |
| www.quantumbooks.com |
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| This page explains a wide range of techniques which can help you generate creative solutions to your problems. |
| www.mindtools.com |
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| The 6 Myths Of Creativity |
| A new study will change how you generate ideas and decide who's really creative in your company. |
| www.fastcompany.com |
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| CreativeClass.org |
| Richard Florida's "The Rise of the Creative Class" examines creativity and its effects on economic development. |
| www.creativeclass.org |
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| TIP: Concepts |
| The relationship between creativity and intelligence has been always been a central concern of psychology ( Guilford , 1950). Much effort has been devoted ... |
| tip.psychology.org |
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| American Creativity Association (ACA) |
| An incorporated non-profit organization promoting personal and professional creativity. Association membership is represented by four multidisciplinary ... |
| www.amcreativityassoc.org |
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| CREAX - Portal for creativity and innovation |
| A resource for links on creativity and innovation on the web. A selection of 690 links is divided into 67 categories for the visitors convenience. |
| www.creax.net |
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