知识共享案例文档格式.docx
- 文档编号:22341538
- 上传时间:2023-02-03
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:23
- 大小:93.05KB
知识共享案例文档格式.docx
《知识共享案例文档格式.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《知识共享案例文档格式.docx(23页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
GoochWebsterisanindependentcompanyofcharteredsurveyorsandpropertyconsultantsformedon1stMay1998bythemergeroftwoothersurveyingpractices:
Gooch&
Wagstaff(G&
W)andJ.Trevor&
Webster(JT&
W).Bothpracticeshavealonganddistinguishedhistorydatingbacktothelastcentury.Today,GoochWebsterisamongstthetop20surveyingpracticesintheUKwithover170feeearnersandasupportstaffof100who,amongthemgenerateover£
17mworthofbillings.
GoochWebsterdeliverspropertysurveyingandconsultingservicesthroughsixseparatebuthighlyinterconnecteddivisions(Exhibit1).Thefirmdealsmostlywithcommercialclients,andthenatureofpropertymayvaryfromindustrial,retailtoofficespace.ThefirmhasnineofficesallovertheUK(Exhibit2).
1.1.1TheMerger
ColinMandersexplainsthemotivationbehindthemerger:
“TheclientbaseofG&
WandJT&
Whadincreasedrapidlyoverthelastfewyears.Boththecompaniesfelttheneedformoreexpertiseandmorepeople.Theexpertisesetofthetwoorganisationscomplementedeachotherverywell.Secondlythetwoorganisationswereaverygoodgeographicalfit.Hencemergerwasawin-winsituationforbothG&
W.”
ThepeopleatGoochWebsterbelievethatthemergerinMay1998broughttogethertwocompaniesthatwerewellmatchedonpaperbutverydifferentinpractice.Thetwowereagoodfitbothintermsofgeographyandtherangeofservicestheyprovided.WhileJT&
WhadastrongregionalpresenceintheUKandwereknownfortheirretailandbuildingconsultancy,LondonCitywasaforteofG&
Wandithadstronginvestment,businessspaceandassetmanagementpractices.
Howeverthetwohadverydifferentorganisationalstructures,culturesandsystems.Therewerefewbigdifferencesbutmanysmallvariancesinthewaypeopleworkedandconductedbusiness.ToquoteanexamplegivenbyadirectorformerlywithJT&
W:
“IncontrasttoJT&
W,G&
Whadalotofsupportstaffandthejobofdatagatheringwasoftendelegated.Onprimafacieevidence,thismightseemasmalldifference,butinpracticaltermsitcalledforalotofchangeinthewaypeoplethinkandwork.Sincethemerger,alotofsupportstaffhavebeenmadeavailabletous,butpeoplefromJT&
Waresimplynotattunedtousingsomebodyelsefordatagathering.Iamaclassicexample;
Ijustdon’tfeelcomfortabledelegatingthisimportanttasktosomeoneelse.TheyareawasteasfarasIamconcerned.”
PeopleatGoochWebsterstillexistastwocompanieseventhoughonpapertheyareamergedunit
ColinManderselaboratesontheseminordifferencesinculture:
“G&
Wwereusedtoschedulinginternalmeetingsoutsidenormalworkinghours,eitherearlyinthemorningat8:
00a.m.orlateintheeveningafter6:
00p.m.,sothatadministrationdidnotimpactonfeeearning.Incontrast,JT&
Wheldmeetingsduringworkinghours.Afterthemerger,wehaddifficultiesinagreeingonanappropriatetimeformeetings.”
Thecomputersystemsandthemotivationtousethemalsodifferedlargelyinthetwoorganisations.ColinMandersreflects:
“Priortothemerger,everybodyinG&
Whadacomputerandane-mailingfacility,whilethereweresomepeopleinJT&
Wwhodidnothaveacomputer.TherewasnouniversalfilingsysteminJT&
W.Priortothemerger,theywereusingLotusNotes,wewerenot.InJT&
W,onedepartmenthandledallIT,PersonnelManagementandQualityAssurance.Incontrast,G&
WhadadedicatedITdepartmentwithtechnicalknowledgeandcapability,headedbyme.Itisnosurprisethatthemergerbroughtchaosinitswake.Duetothedifferenceinplatformsused,someoftheofficeswerenotconnected.WehadtoinvestheavilyinnewITinfrastructureandtrainingofpeople.Alotofproblemsstillpersist.WearetooreliantononesmallITdeveloperforournecessaryuseofLotusNotes.Iamnotconvincedthattheycanprovidetheknowledgeanddevelopmentofthesystemthatweurgentlyneedtotakethebusinessforward.IbelievetheITsystemasitistodayinGoochWebsteristoobiasedtoadministrativepurposes.Wemustempowerthefeeearners.Theparamountaimistoachievearesilient,reliableWideAreaNetwork(WAN)toconnectthecompanyandtobuildrelationships.Wemustshareideasandexpertiseifwearetoincreaseourprofitability.Itisalsoessentialthatwehavecommonsoftwaretoeliminateannoyingproblemsinsharingfiles,documentsandinformation.ThefactthatapartofseniormanagementisstillverywaryofusingIT,andtheimpatienceand,toadegree,intoleranceofsomeusersisnothelpingusverymuch.”
Asoftoday,peoplefromthetwoformerorganisationsarequitewaryofeachotherandalotofpreconceivednotionsexistinthemindsofpeoplefromJT&
WaboutpeoplefromG&
Wandviceversa.Internally,thepeopleatGoochWebsterstillexistastwofirmseventhoughonpapertheyareamergedunit.WhilepeoplewhohadworkedwithJT&
Wclaimthattheirformerorganisationhadalotofforwardmomentumandfosteredentrepreneurialspirit,employeesfromG&
Wthinkjusttheopposite.TheyviewtheformerJT&
Wemployeestobethemavericktypes,preferringtobeunstructuredandwantingtodothingstheirownway.Ontheotherhand,peoplefromJT&
WfindemployeesfromformerG&
Wextremelystructuredandconservativeintheirapproaches.
Moreover,conversationwithColinMandersrevealedthatG&
Wsetouttomergeonanequalbasis.Assuch,itisa50:
50partnership,andthereisnodominantpartner,which,byextension,causesanarchy.Asoftoday,therearealotofpendingissuesonwhichdecisionsneedtobetakenasfastaspossible.
Havingsaidthat,theseniormanagementatGoochWebsteralsoadmitsthatitwouldbewrongtoover-emphasisethedifferencesbetweenthetwoorganisationsbecausea)theyarepartandparcelofanymergerandb)thedifferencesarelimitedtoareasonablysmallgroupofpeoplewhoaremorevocalandinfluentialthantheothers.
Inanutshell,thefirmtodaycanclaimtobeatrulynationalcompanywithastrongpresenceinLondonandtherestoftheUK.Ithashighlyrespectedinvestmentandassetmanagementteamsandapowerfulbusinessspacedepartmentandretailagencythatarewidelyrecognisedasleadingforcesintheirrespectivefields.However,itneedstoresolvetheinternalissuesitisconfrontedwith,somebig,somesmall.
1.1.2TheProcessofIntegration
Alotofeffortsareinprogressinthefirmtoironouttheseminordifferencesandtofacilitatetheprocessofintegrationofthetwocompanies.TheHumanResourcesDepartmentisco-ordinatingaseriesofchangemanagementworkshopsandskill-buildingsessionstohelpintegratethetwofirmsandprovideguidanceontheissues,whichmustberesolved.Whilesomepeoplewhohavebeenapartoftheseworkshopsfindtheminstrumentalinbreakingdownlotsofbarriers,othersbelievetheyareawasteoftimeandresources.Nonetheless,everybodyagreesthatitisanexcellentopportunitytointeractwithpeoplefromotheroffices.
Effortsarealsocontinuingtoredesigntheinformationsystemsintheorganisationsothatallthepeopleshareacommonplatform.ColinMandersrevealedthattheyaresoongoingtohiremoreexpertiseinITtocomplementtheskillsoftheexistingteamthatwouldincludeaNotesadministratorordeveloperwithgoodsystemskillsandtroubleshootingexpertise.
1.1.3WheredoesGoochWebsterwanttogo?
Thevision
ThepeopleatGoochWebsterdonotyetshareacommonvisison
Freshintothemerger,thepeopleatGoochWebsterarestilltryingtodecideonwhattheirvisionis.Thereisnosharedvisioninthecompanyanddifferentpeoplehavewidelyvaryingopinionsregardingthis.ColinManders,forexample,believesitisdifficulttoarriveatasharedvisionbysimplyagreeingonwords:
“Avisionandaculturemustbedeveloped,shared,believed,advocatedandsupported.Atpresentthemanagementis,toborrowaphrase,simplytryingtoherdcats.Catsarefiercelyindependentanimalsanddifficulttopersuadetoactinconcert.Myapproachwouldbetopromotesubtlechangesinorganisationsystemsandapproachbutwithacommonstatedaimtobeprofitable,toseekexcellenceandbecaring.Hopefully,aculturewillemergerelativelyquicklyasweworktogether.Thosewhodonotagreeordonotwishtofitinmusteitherbeaccommodatedoraskedtoleave.”
AnotherDirector,remarked:
“MyvisionforGoochWebsterwouldbetomakeittheArthurAndersenofthesurveyingworldandtohaveareputationforexpertadvice.Todayweareprocessingmoreandadvisingless.Inmyopinion,ifwearetoremainprofitable,themostlogicalcourseforuswouldbetomovefromtheprocessingendofthespectrumtotheadvisoryend.Thewaytodoitiseithergroworganicallybyemployingbrighterandmorecompetentpeoplewiththenecessaryskillsetortotakesomeoneoverormergewithsomeonewhoalreadyhavetheskills.I,however,donotseeanyroomforgeographicalexpansion.I’dliketogetourhouseinorderbackhomefirstbeforewestartmarchingacrosstheglobe.“
Stillotherexampleofdivergentviewsisthefollowingquotefromanotherdirector:
“Weneedtobecomeamore“opencompany”;
weneedtofosteranenvironmentofkno
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 知识 共享 案例
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)