After the downsizing LO15920

Tdell1@aol.com
Fri, 21 Nov 1997 00:35:48 -0500 (EST)

Replying to LO15840 --

In a message dated 97-11-19 23:24:49 EST, you wrote:

> Tom, to some extent the response depends on how the others were
>dismissed; the openness of the culture; the issues of cordiality and
>trust. Could you provide some more details?

Hi Doc,

Thanks for responding. Both my VP and I are relatively new with the
company, so our handle on these issues is less than it should be and will
be in a few months. However, my take is that trust, or lack of it, has
been a major issue for years. Turnover at the executive level has been
constant since the early '90s. Employees perceive that management has no
clue or plan . . . and they may be right. Our competitors are wallowing
in profit, while we're bleeding.

In the past year, we were wholly acquired by a Korean conglomerate.
Korean organizations (and I have first-hand experience with a Korean
automotive company) are Theory X if not downright military in structure
and culture.

Our concern is threefold. First, we don't want to lose high-tech talent
that will be hard to replace. It's a hot job market right now, and our
best people can easily find jobs with companies that are paying bonuses.
Second, we need to get the leaner organization refocused on getting the
business back on track. And third, the VP and I want to champion culture
change, and a 30 percent RIF will make this an even bigger challenge.

With all this in mind, any ideas? I've read many of your LO posts with
great appreciation for your intellect and insights.

Tom Dell
Sr. Mgr., Training & Development
AST Computer
Irvine, CA

-- 

Tdell1@aol.com

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>