5The Serving Enterprise

Relinquishing Our Grip on Self-Interest

Great battles are being joined in the marketplace today to decide which organizations will survive an onslaught of creative destruction. As rivals from around the world vie to meet growing demands for superior value and service, old allegiances to famous corporations of the past are being overthrown daily. Sears was replaced by Wal-Mart as America’s dominant retailer, the AT&T monopoly was shattered by MCI, RCA has been eclipsed by Sony, GM Chevrolets must now compete with Hondas and Toyotas, and even IBM is fighting for its life against Microsoft and Intel.

Despite business attempts to win the hearts and minds of fickle buyers, however, excellence remains an exception in America. ...

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