Book Reviews
Many Thin Companies
Carter T
ISBN: 0-789022-48-6 2004 122 pages The Hawthorn Press Inc., Binghamton, New York
Douglas Beatton
Management Work and Industry Futures, School of Management, Faculty of Business, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane QLD
Many Thin Companies projects a pre and post view of management in the United States of America subsequent to the atrocities of September 11, 2001 (Carter 2004). While it is understandable that corporate management's immediate response focussed on repairing the human tragedy, the City of New York, the airline industry, Verizon, Aon and the Price Waterhouse Cooper corporate cases example government, industries and businesses that quickly transitioned from disaster to survival.
Through the lens of its 3-Step crisis management process (Carter 2004: 1-13) we view the City of New York (Carter 2004: 13-17) emerging from a humanitarian crisis and multi-billion dollar revenue shortfall to innovatively restore financial stability through improved internal processes that focussed on delivery of core customer services. In an environment of economic fragility (Carter 2004: 19-42), we view an airline industry plagued with customers complaining of delayed or cancelled flights and poor service (Carter 2004: 43-64).
The twin-towers tragedy and thirty-thousand layoffs later, the airline industry has responded to the increased competition from rail and road alternatives to offer improved customer services albeit to individuals still concerned about airline safety and businesses who have factored declining travel budgets into their long-term planning (Carter 2004: 61-70). Verizon is framed as a corporate citizen whose staff reconnected 8,000 emergency phone numbers on the day of the tragedy and restored tens of thousand of communication lines to the New York Stock exchange in just four days (Carter 2004: 85-92).
The result, forgotten overworked and stressed employees operating in an environment devoid of trust in a management who ultimately engaged Price Waterhouse Coopers (Carter 2004: 93-102) to help with business restructuring services and psychological counselling for employees (Carter 2004: 79-84). Through Aon, we view the triple loss of the United States' largest reinsurer (Carter 2004: 85-92). Traumatised by the pictures of trapped work colleagues jumping to their deaths from the twin towers, Aon provided immediate psychological assistance to employees. In spite of enduring tens-of-billions of dollars in corporate losses, Aon management continued to pay deceased employees for weeks after the tragedy. And, with the help of Local and Federal Governments, Aon continues to focus on restoring it and its industry's long-term viability.
Post the atrocities of September 11, this book views how US government, industry and corporations emerged thinner, globally more competitive, and refocussed on improved customer service.
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