Agree on Intent!

• How do you realise co-ordination between business- units ; that at the same time increase their market responsiveness? • How do you generate commitment from unit management for changes that will have positive and negative consequences? • How can a corporate centre improve its effectiveness in creating synergy? • How do you get unit managers to work together in the pursuit of a common objective? The central theme of this book is the development of au Agreement of Intent: 'the commitment of managers from different operating units to work together in the pursuit of a common objective'. This book contains a study into the way in which multinational companies tackle the co-ordination of different operating units. 111 three well-known multinational companies - 3M, Unilever and Hewlett Packard - the importance of the commitment of unit management to a corporate initiative is illustrated. The book helps managers to rethink the co-ordinating mechanisms in use in their organisation, explains the role of commitment of unit managers, clarifies conditions for effective co-ordination between operating units and sheds light on some particular characteristics of multinational companies. Finally, the, book will help managers, both at corporate and unit level, to be aware of their role and possible contribution in realising synergy in their own organisation.