
262 Inverting the Paradox of Excellence
the mainframes. He hoped that this change would force IBM managers to change their mindset and
support the company’s move into the new markets.
IBM’s top managers had risen up the ranks of IBM from the mainframe division and
were conditioned by the idea that the level of computing power was everything: big
machines meant big revenue. IBM’s mainframe managers saw the potential earning
power of the minicomputer as insignicant when compared to the huge revenues gen-
erated by its mainframes. Cary’s change of structure created huge divisional rivalry between
mainframe and minicomputer managers. The mainfra