Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose

Introduction

How has Hewlett-Packard sustained 20 per cent annual growth over a ten-year period, or Glaxo Wellcome brought its products to the marketplace quicker by achieving significant reductions in its product development cycle, or Motorola kept its growth rate buoyant in China? These are examples from across the globe but united by a common thread. If we had asked a similar question of companies in 1900, the answer would have been that these companies achieve success because they have the financial capital to expand into new and emerging markets. In the fifties we could have spoken of their technological advantages, of the patents they hold and exploit. But in 2000, at a time when raising $1 million is a nanosecond away, when patents erode ...