CHAPTER ONE
Introduction: Innovation as a Core Competency
If you grew up in the United States between 1950 and 1999, hearing the name Whirlpool probably makes you think of gleaming white washing machines and dishwashers. In your mind, you may picture an old-line manufacturing company with lines of factory workers assembling parts and shooting screws, along with shipping docks laden with heavy brown boxes filled with appliances for the kitchen and laundry room. Actually, your vision would be somewhat accurate for that period of time.
With that picture in mind, the Whirlpool of today would surprise you. We are sixty thousand employees around the world in 170 countries, with efficiency and productivity unparalleled in any industry. We have thirteen ...
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