Organizational Behavior, Third Edition

Chapter 4. Learning and Perception

Exploring Behavior in Action: The Strategic Importance of Learning and Perception

VF Corporation, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, is the world's largest apparel manufacturer, with revenues of $7 billion plus annually. Chances are that you have several items of their clothing in your closet. Their more than thirty brands include: Wrangler, Lee, Vans, The North Face, 7 for all mankind, and Jansport. In 2004, the VF Corporation launched a new growth plan, that has been incredibly successful. The goal of this plan was to transform the VF Corporation in a global lifestyle apparel company. At the center of the plan are six Growth Drivers, one of which is building new growth enablers. The company describes this goal as: "Taking our company to new heights requires new capabilities and skills, and we've invested in areas that are specifically designed to support our growth. ... [W]e know that providing our leaders and associates with new tools and training that stretches their capabilities is crucial to our continued success." Thus, associate learning, development, and knowledge sharing has become one of the crucial drivers of the VF Corporation's new strategy. Tom Nelson, VF Corporation's manager of global sourcing states, "Learning and development makes a significant contribution to the company's ongoing success."

VF Asia Ltd., a subsidiary of VF Corporation located in Hong Kong, took this directive very seriously. This subsidiary totally reorganized ...