Product details

By continuing to use our site you consent to the use of cookies as described in our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.
You can change your cookie settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them.
Published by: Harvard Business Publishing
Published in: "Harvard Business Review", 1992

Abstract

Paul Allaire leads a company that is a microcosm of the changes transforming American business. With the introduction of the first plain- paper copier in 1959, Xerox invented a new industry and launched itself into a decade of spectacular growth. But easy growth led Xerox to neglect the fundamentals of its core business, leaving the company vulnerable to low-cost Japanese competition. Starting in the mid-1980s, Xerox embarked on a long-term effort to regain its dominant position in world copier markets and to create a new platform for future growth. Thanks to the company''s Leadership through Quality program, Xerox became the first major U.S. company to win back market share from the Japanese. Since becoming CEO in 1990, Allaire has redirected the company''s strategy to position Xerox as "the document company," at the intersection of the worlds of paper-based and electronic information. And he has guided the company through a fundamental redesign of what Allaire calls the "organizational architecture" of Xerox''s document processing business.

About

Abstract

Paul Allaire leads a company that is a microcosm of the changes transforming American business. With the introduction of the first plain- paper copier in 1959, Xerox invented a new industry and launched itself into a decade of spectacular growth. But easy growth led Xerox to neglect the fundamentals of its core business, leaving the company vulnerable to low-cost Japanese competition. Starting in the mid-1980s, Xerox embarked on a long-term effort to regain its dominant position in world copier markets and to create a new platform for future growth. Thanks to the company''s Leadership through Quality program, Xerox became the first major U.S. company to win back market share from the Japanese. Since becoming CEO in 1990, Allaire has redirected the company''s strategy to position Xerox as "the document company," at the intersection of the worlds of paper-based and electronic information. And he has guided the company through a fundamental redesign of what Allaire calls the "organizational architecture" of Xerox''s document processing business.

Related