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"Panasonic tells how a typical Japanese multinational learned to restructure itself according to this flexible "American" approach while preserving some essential Japanese attributes. Panasonic is the main brand name for Matsushita Electric Industrial Company; author Francis McInerney consulted for Matsushita's American subsidiary in the late 1990s—when the firm's troubles became most apparent."
Telecom: The Merger Is The Message
BusinessWeek, January 10, 2005
Net technology is replacing old methods, ushering in an era of souped-up services
Distinctions within the industry are blurring as outsiders make inroads
By Roger O. Crockett in Chicago
Last year ended with a bang in telecom. During the final three months, Cingular closed its $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless, and Sprint announced a $35 billion mega-merger with Nextel Communications. At a time when interest in traditional telecom companies is as rare as rotary phones, mergers are a sign of the profound changes afoot. "These kinds of deals create enormous opportunities to rethink the whole telecom sector," says Francis McInerney, managing director of consultant North River Ventures LLC.
