This paper is a case study on W.L. Gore. It gives a brief overview of the organization, in terms of its history, design and management structure. Lastly, the case study will internalize some of the strengths of the organization.
The history of W.L. Gore and Associates dates back in the year 1958 when it was founded by the late Wilbert L. Gore and his wife. His business idea developed while he was at E. I. DuPont de Nemours, where he discovered a compound with distinctive chemical proper properties, known as GORE-TEX. In 1998, W.L. Gore and Associates was ranked by Forbes among the top five hundred private companies in the United States, registering annual revenue of $1.1 billion (Gore, 2012). Additionally, the company was ranked seventh by Fortune in 1998 among the best firms to work for in the country. This was augmented by W.L. Gore’s investing in management of people. Gore was a chemical engineer by profession and tried to make ribbon cables coated with PTFE severally without success.
After his discovery, DuPont opted to remain as a supplier and not shifting its operations to becoming a manufacturer. In 1958, Gore and his wife converted their basement into the company’s first facility and began working on producing PTFE-coated cables. Gore remained the chairman of the board until 1986 when he died. His position was taken up by his son, Bob, while his wife Genevieve remained the secretary-treasurer. By 1998, W.L. Gore and Associates was producing a wide range of products, including high-tech products, which had countless applications especially in waterproofing, industrial seals, filtration, coating and electronic among others (Gore, 2012).
With regard to organizational structure and management, W.L. Gore and Associates lack titles, hierarchy and formal structures. It is believed that the two common titles, president and secretary-treasurer are used because the law demands their usage. Additionally, the company does not have mission or code of ethics statements as observed by other organizations.
Nevertheless, the firm has never required or restricted any of its business units from developing the statements. As a result, some associate units have designed their statements, which they believe are necessary for guidance. In other words, the company is led by adherence to ethical practices, even though the management style has been referred to as “unmanagement” by observers. It is believed that the organization has heavily depended on Bill’s experiences at DuPont, which have been modified when necessary (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2010).
The organization has also maintained the “Get big by staying small” rule, which limits the number of associates in order to enhance communication and nurture relationships. By 1998, the company had a total of forty-five plants around the globe, with seven thousand associates. In some cases, the plants are grouped together like in Flagstaff, Arizona, where ten plants operate. Others are in foreign countries like China, Germany and Scotland (Gore, 2012).
The company’s strength has been meeting a wide range of consumer needs, ranging from domestic to large-scale. Additionally, its cooperative advertising strategy has been quite instrumental in winning new customers through joint ventures among associates. Lastly, its people-led management motivates employees to work excellently for the success of the company through adherence to basic business ethics in the absence of illegal practices. This has helped the company to nurture its reputation to become a worldwide business organization that began as a partnership between Gore and his wife Genevieve.
References
Daft, R., Murphy, J., & Willmott, H. (2010). Organization theory and design. United Kingdom: Cengage Learning EMEA.
Gore. (2012). W.L. Gore and Associates. Gore. Web.