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INTRODUCTION
Dow Chemical is the second largest chemical company in the world, manufacturing over 2000 products and employing nearly 50,000 people across 168 countries, as Daniels et al. ... The company and its 40 joint ventures now enjoy annual sales of nearly $28 billion, with over half of it generated outside the USA, as McConnachie (1997) points out. ... In such an environment, it is essential for Dow to stay ahead of the competition. ... Its focal point will be placed on the mixture of standardisation and local responsiveness, with particular attention being paid to the introduction of these measures on a worldwide scale.
MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEE ISSUES
Dow’s position in the world market has changed substantially over the past few decades. ... Part of the reason for this can be traced back to the “cultural revolution” that has taken place within the company over the last twenty years. ... About three-quarters of Dow’s top management committee are now either non-US born or have had significant international experience. This is thought to broaden the view from a purely domestic outlook to a more global view of business issues, which strongly compliments Dow’s situation.
In addition to this international top-management, Dow also needs to attract and retain high quality employees in the countries where they operate, as Daniels et al. ... Thus, all employees throughout the world have equal access to career advancement training and promotion opportunities, as Dow (a) (2001) reports. Accordingly, Dow has dramatically increased investment in executive education for future local leaders in recent years, as Dow (b) outlines. ... For example, 97 per cent of Dow’s 250 employees in China are Chinese, all trained according to Dow’s global standards, as Lung (1999) stresses. ... In addition to this, Dow has developed a global e-learning system that delivers standardised training programmes available in a range of languages, as Overby (2002) indicates. As a result, costs of training delivery, class materials and salaries have been significantly reduced, saving the company an estimated $30 million in its first full year of operation. ... Due to Dow’s complexity of operations, it would cause significant problems if the company was to manage the different industries by the same priorities, as Hill (2003) indicates. ... (2003) illustrate (see appendix 1).
Approximate Word count = 1880
Approximate Pages = 7.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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