Friday, May 15, 2015

U.K. Manufacturing: From Underdog to Top Dog

By Martyn Gill, International Board Member of MESA International 


The history of U.K. manufacturing includes key events that led to struggles resulting in 
the sector shrinking by two-thirds in 30 years. There are also undeniable turning points that fuelled the country’s determination to reinstate manufacturing as a leading source of revenue and value. Today, the sector is stronger than previous decades—it grew by 2.5 percent or more in 2014—but it lacks recognition of its importance in the economy and society, and needs investment to ensure continued success.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Strategy, Culture, and Breakfast

 By Patrick Weber, MESA International Technical and Education Committee member

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

In spite of all the Internet attributions of this quote to management guru Peter Drucker, there is some question as to whether he actually said it.  Although the phrase doesn't seem to appear in Drucker’s books, one source traces it to Mark Fields of Ford Motor Company where it’s said the quote hangs in the company war room.  Regardless of whether Drucker actually uttered these words, understanding the context of the idea is critical because it can be easily misinterpreted.