a producer and ABN AMRO a financial institution, a bank. Cultural-wise both companies are of course quite different too. Where a producers’ culture is strongly based on a tangible product with which employees can identity themselves easily, a financial company lacks such a taAll larger companies and all those who have been in the market for several business cycles are prone to an (identity) crisis. Corporate identity and the product of the company are related. This is quite important when dealing with change.

In his book – “let’s make things better,” Marcel Metze writes about the Philips culture which is centered around engineers on one side and salesmen on the other; some how these two groups keep the organization in balance.

For those of you how know Philips know that this company “makes things,” it operates in consumer electronics, appliances, medical systems or in general in a wide area of products that require a design (which is sales centered) and engineering (which is product centered).

Philips is a company that is more than hundred years old and has survived many crises. Currently ABN AMRO is struggling with some kind of a crisis. One of the problems the company is dealing with is that it is too large for the Netherlands and too small to be a world player.

There is a big difference however between both companies. One (Philips) is a producer and ABN AMRO a financial institution, a bank. Cultural-wise both companies are of course quite different too. Where a producers’ culture is strongly based on a tangible product with which employees can identity themselves easily, a financial company lacks such a tan

better,” Marcel Metze writes about the Philips culture which is centered around engineers on one side and salesmen on the other; some how these two groups keep the organization in balance.

For those of you how know Philips know that this company “makes things,” it operates in consumer electronics, appliances, medical systems or in general in a wide area of products that require a design (which is sales centered) and engineering (which is product centered).

Philips is a company that is more than hundred years old and has survived many crises. Currently ABN AMRO is struggling with some kind of a crisis. One of the problems the company is dealing with is that it is too large for the Netherlands and too small to be a world player.

There is a big difference however between both companies. One (Philips) is a producer and ABN AMRO a financial institution, a bank. Cultural-wise both companies are of course quite different too. Where a producers’ culture is strongly based on a tangible product with which employees can identity themselves easily, a financial company lacks such a ta

tes in consumer electronics, appliances, medical systems or in general in a wide area of products that require a design (which is sales centered) and engineering (which is product centered).

Philips is a company that is more than hundred years old and has survived many crises. Currently ABN AMRO is struggling with some kind of a crisis. One of the problems the company is dealing with is that it is too large for the Netherlands and too small to be a world player.

There is a big difference however between both companies. One (Philips) is a producer and ABN AMRO a financial institution, a bank. Cultural-wise both companies are of course quite different too. Where a producers’ culture is strongly based on a tangible product with which employees can identity themselves easily, a financial company lacks such a ta

ises. Currently ABN AMRO is struggling with some kind of a crisis. One of the problems the company is dealing with is that it is too large for the Netherlands and too small to be a world player.

There is a big difference however between both companies. One (Philips) is a producer and ABN AMRO a financial institution, a bank. Cultural-wise both companies are of course quite different too. Where a producers’ culture is strongly based on a tangible product with which employees can identity themselves easily, a financial company lacks such a ta

a producer and ABN AMRO a financial institution, a bank. Cultural-wise both companies are of course quite different too. Where a producers’ culture is strongly based on a tangible product with which employees can identity themselves easily, a financial company lacks such a tangible product and requires more effort to build a cultural identity. This makes that a financial company should invest more in culture where much of the culture of a production company comes with the “nature” of this product itself.

Companies that are dealing with a shift from a product-oriented culture to a service-oriented culture struggle with this cultural element too.

A good example of a company that has a strong identity and is proud to show this to the external world is Seiko. Just have a look. It all seems to fit. Such a company will be around for “ever:” www.sii.co.jp/corp/eg/company/company7.html

© 2007 Hans Bool