Download to read offline
![Chapter 7: Innovation and Change 160
Preview a paragraph about their experience with the design process and one about their
response to the critique process.
2. If you have finished covering Chapter 7, assign students to review Chapter 8 and
read the next chapter on your syllabus.
Remind students about any upcoming events.
Assignments with Teaching Tips and Solutions
What Would You Do? Case Assignment
3M
Minneapolis, Minnesota
With 40,000 global patents and patent applications, 3M, maker of Post-it notes, reflective
materials (Scotch lite), and 55,000 products in numerous industries (displays and graphics, electronics and
communications, health care, safety and security, transportation, manufacturing, office products, and
home and leisure), has long been one of the most innovative companies in the world. 3M codified its
focus on innovation into a specific goal, “30/5,” which meant that 30 percent of its sales each year must
come from products no more than five years old. The logic was simple but powerful. Each year, five-
year-old products become six years old and would not be counted toward the 30 percent of sales. Thus,
the 30/5 goal encouraged everyone at 3M to be on the lookout for and open to new ideas and products.
Furthermore, 3M allowed its engineers and scientists to spend 5 percent of their time, roughly a half-day
per week, doing whatever they wanted as long as it was related to innovation and new product
development.
And it worked, for a while. A decade ago, the Boston Consulting Group, one of the premier
consulting companies in the world, ranked 3M as the most innovative company in the world. In
subsequent years, it dropped to second, third, and then seventh. Today, 3M doesn’t even crack the top 50.
Dev Patnaik, of Jump Associates, an innovation consulting firm, says, “People have kind of forgotten
about those guys [3M]. When was the last time you saw something innovative or experimental coming
out of there?” So, what happened?
When your predecessor became CEO ten years ago, he found a struggling, inefficient, oversized
company in need of change. He cut costs by laying off 8,000 people. Marketing, and research and
development funds, which had been allocated to divisions independent of performance (all divisions got
the same increase each year), were now distributed based on past performance and growth potential.
Perform poorly, and your funds would shrink the next year. Likewise, with U.S. sales stagnating and Asia
sales rising, management decreased headcount, hiring, and capital expenditures in the United States,
while significantly increasing all three in fast-growing Asian markets. Six Sigma processes, popularized
at Motorola and GE, were introduced to analyze how things got done, to remove unnecessary steps, and to
change procedures which caused defects. Thousands of 3M managers and employees became trained as
Six Sigma “black belts” and returned to their divisions and departments to root out inefficiencies, reduce
production times, and decrease waste and product errors. And it worked incredibly well, in part. Costs and
capital spending dropped, while profits surged 35 percent to record levels. But, product innovation, as
compared to the 30/5 goal sank dramatically, as only 21 percent of profits were generated by products that
were no more than five years old.
So, what should 3M do? From inception, 3M has been an innovator, bringing a stream of new
products and services to market, creating value for customers, sustainable advantage over competitors,
and sizable returns for investors. Thanks to your predecessor, 3M has lower costs, is highly efficient, and
much more profitable. But it no longer ranks among the most innovative firms in the world. In fact, the
use of Six Sigma procedures appears to be inversely related to product innovation. If that’s the case,
should 3M continue to focus on using Six Sigma procedures to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, or](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/17556-250425060554-71d4f31e/75/MGMT-7-7th-Edition-Chuck-Williams-Solutions-Manual-11-2048.jpg)
![Chapter 7: Innovation and Change 161
should it strive again to encourage its scientists and managers to focus on innovation? Which will make
3M more competitive in the long run?
When people think of innovation, they tend to think of game-changing advances that render
current products obsolete, for example, comparing the iPhone to text-based “smartphones.” Innovation,
however, also occurs with lots of incremental changes over time. What are the advantages and
disadvantages for 3M of each approach, and when and where would each be more likely to work? Finally,
some companies innovate from within by successfully implementing creative ideas in their products or
services. Sometimes, though, innovation is acquired by purchasing other companies that have made
innovative advances. For example, although Google is generally rated as one of the most innovative
companies in the world, most people have forgotten that Google bought YouTube to combine its search
expertise with YouTube’s online video capabilities. Over time, how much should companies like 3M rely
on acquisitions for innovation? Should 3M acquire half, one-third, 10 percent, or 5 percent of its new
products through acquisitions? What makes the most sense and why?
If you were in charge at 3M, what would you do?
Sources:
“The 50 Most Innovative Companies 2010,” Bloomberg Businessweek,
http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/innovative_companies_2010.html [accessed 4 May 2011]; M.
Arndt & D. Brady, “3M’s Rising Star,” BusinessWeek, 12 April 2004, 62-74; M. Gunther, M. Adamo, & B.
Feldman, “3M'S Innovation Revival,” Fortune, 27 September 2010, 73-76; B. Hindo, “3M: Struggle between
Efficiency and Creativity,” BusinessWeek Online, 17 September 2007, 36.
What Really Happened? Solution
In the opening case, you learned that 3M, once the most innovative company in the world, was no longer
considered innovative. While layoffs, allocating research & development funds based on performance
and potential, and Six Sigma processes – the latter of which rooted out inefficiencies, reduced production
times, and decreased waste and production errors – led to significantly reduced costs and record profits,
product innovation, as measured by the percentage of percentage of profits generated by products that
were no more than five years old, dropped to a record low of 21%, dramatically below the company’s
long-term goal of 30%. Let’s find out what happened at 3M and see what steps CEO George Buckley
took to improve 3M’s ability to introduce innovative products and services.
So, what should 3M do? From inception, 3M has been an innovator, bringing a stream of new products
and services to market, creating value for customers, sustainable advantage over competitors, and sizable
returns for investors. Thanks to your predecessor, 3M has lower costs, is highly efficient, and much more
profitable. But, it no longer ranks among the most innovative firms in the world. In fact, the use of Six
Sigma procedures appears to be inversely related to product innovation. If that’s the case, should 3M
continue to focus on using Six Sigma procedures to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, or should it
strive again to encourage its scientists and managers to focus on innovation? Which will make 3M more
competitive in the long run?
In Chapter 6, we learned that organizations can create competitive advantage for themselves if they
have a distinctive competence that allows them to make, do, or perform something better than their
competitors. A competitive advantage becomes sustainable if other companies cannot duplicate the
benefits obtained from that distinctive competence. Technological innovation, however, can enable
competitors to duplicate the benefits obtained from a company’s distinctive advantage. In other words,
innovation can allow companies that fall behind to catch up. And, sometimes, innovation can be so
disruptive that market leaders become market followers as their competitive advantage turns into a
competitive disadvantage.
Consequently, companies that want to sustain a competitive advantage must understand and protect
themselves from the strategic threats of innovation. Over the long run, the best way for a company to do](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/17556-250425060554-71d4f31e/75/MGMT-7-7th-Edition-Chuck-Williams-Solutions-Manual-12-2048.jpg)
![Chapter 7: Innovation and Change 162
that is to create a stream of its own innovative ideas and products year after year. When a company does
that, it’s called an innovation stream, that is, a pattern of innovation over time that creates sustainable
competitive advantage. Innovation streams prevent competitors from catching up because new
innovations keep market leaders, one, two, or three-steps ahead of their competition.
While Six Sigma procedures helped make 3M more efficient, reduce costs, and highly profitable, it
also made the company less innovative. In terms of long run competitiveness and profitability, should
3M continue to focus on costs and efficiencies, or should it encourage its managers and scientists to be
more innovative?
In the long run, innovation is likely to be a more profitable strategy than low costs and efficiency.
Why? Because the latter are easier to duplicate, which is another way of saying it’s more difficult to
sustain a competitive advantage based on costs and efficiency. And while innovation is a more profitable
strategy because firms can charge more for innovative, value-added products and services that aren’t
available from competitors, it is difficult, as 3M’s experience has shown, to maintain an innovation
stream, that is, a pattern of innovation over time that creates sustainable competitive advantage.
One sure thing, however, is that while Six Sigma processes increased 3M’s short-run profitability, it
also hurt the company’s ability to innovate. CEO George Buckley observed, “Invention is by its very
nature a disorderly process. You can't put a Six Sigma process into that area and say, well, I'm getting
behind on invention, so I'm going to schedule myself for three good ideas on Wednesday and two on
Friday. That's not how creativity works.” Former 3M employee Michael Mucci said, “We all came to the
conclusion that there was no way in the world that anything like a Post-it note would ever emerge from
this new system [meaning Six Sigma].” Art Fry, the 3M scientist who invented the Post-it Note, one of
3M’s most successful products, said innovation is, “a numbers game. You have to go through 5,000 to
6,000 raw ideas to find one successful business.” Because the point of Six Sigma is to eliminate waste,
that is, all of the ideas it takes to find that one great product or service, Fry believes that Six Sigma was
destroying 3M’s innovation culture. Said Fry, “What's remarkable is how fast a culture can be torn
apart."
When people think of innovation, they tend to think of game-changing advances that render current
products obsolete, for example, such as comparing the iPhone to text-based “smart phones.” Innovation,
however, also occurs with lots of incremental changes over time. What are the advantages and
disadvantages for 3M of each approach, and when and where would each be more likely to work?
“Game-changing advances” in technology are also known as discontinuous change, where old
standards are made obsolete by new technological standards. In other words, new technology displaces
old technology. Discontinuous change is accompanied by uncertainty because no one is sure in periods
of discontinuous change which technological approaches will become the new standard, that is, the new
dominant design. In highly uncertainly environments during periods of discontinuous change, it’s best to
use the experiential approach, which assumes that intuition, flexible options, and hands-on experience can
reduce uncertainty and accelerate learning and understanding. This approach involves frequent design
iterations, frequent testing, regular milestones, creation of multifunctional teams, and use of powerful
leaders to guide the innovation process.
Whereas the experiential approach is used to manage innovation in highly uncertain environments
during periods of discontinuous change, the compression approach is used to manage innovation in more
certain environments during periods of incremental change Whereas the goals of the experiential
approach are significant improvements in performance and the establishment of a new dominant design,
the goals of the compression approach are lower costs and incremental improvements in the performance
and function of the existing dominant design.
With the experiential approach, the general strategy is to build something new, different, and
substantially better. Because there’s so much uncertainty—no one knows which technology will become
the market leader—companies adopt a winner-take-all approach by trying to create the market-leading,
dominant design. With the compression approach, the general strategy is to compress the time and steps](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/17556-250425060554-71d4f31e/75/MGMT-7-7th-Edition-Chuck-Williams-Solutions-Manual-13-2048.jpg)
![Chapter 7: Innovation and Change 163
needed to bring about small, consistent improvements in performance and functionality. Because a
dominant technology design already exists, the general strategy is to continue improving the existing
technology as rapidly as possible. In short, a compression approach to innovation assumes that innovation
is a predictable process, that incremental innovation can be planned using a series of steps, and that
compressing the time it takes to complete those steps can speed up innovation.
What are the advantages and disadvantages for 3M of each approach, and when and where would
each be more likely to work? Beyond the issues mentioned above, the primary issue is cost and time
frame. It’s generally more expensive and takes longer to use the experiential approach to compete with
other companies to try to establish a new dominant design. After all, only one, or at best, two companies
will “win.” And, if your company’s design isn’t the “winner,” you’ll lose all of your development costs
with few ways to recoup them in the marketplace.
Cost considerations may be why 3M CEO George Buckley has encouraged 3M’s managers and
scientists to focus on innovating around its core products and services in 3M’s largest markets.
Furthermore, Buckley is encouraging his scientists to use the compression approach to innovation where
they focus on “inventing hundreds of next small things,” that is, making current products a little bit better
year after year. Buckley calls this finding innovations “at the bottom of the pyramid.” And not only is he
encouraging incremental improvements in innovation, he’s also pushing 3M’s people to innovate in ways
that reduce product costs. One example is 3M’s low-cost respirator mask. Buckley said, “I didn't drive
the invention of this, but I said the invention of this is necessary. You have to drive out costs to defend
yourself against competition. I wanted the manufacturing process that made these respirators [to have] a
quadrupling in speed and efficiency.” Says Buckley, “We often think innovation is making a
breakthrough at the top of the pyramid. That's often not where the hardest challenges are. The hardest
challenges are often: How do I make a breakthrough for next to nothing?”
Another example of the incremental approach to innovation using the compression method is when
3M scientists can leverage ideas from other products or scientists in the company. 3M was able to do this
with its Cubitron sanding disks. 3M knew that its sanding disks would work better if each tiny piece of
ceramic “sand” on its sanding disks was identical. That would allow the disks to act more like a razor
blade when sanding off layers of materials. But, the reality was that each piece of ceramic “sand” was a
different shape with a slightly different size. That meant that the sanding disks made uneven contact with
sanding surfaces, which produced “bouncing” that made it more difficult to do a quality sanding job.
Scott Culler, a 3M Scientist said, “The big voila happened." And that “big voila” was realizing that 3M’s
micro-replicating technology, used to create identical reflective materials in reflective roads signs, could
also be used to create identical, tiny pieces of ceramic sand. It took 15 months to perfect the process, but
Culler and his fellow scientists were able to do it and produce substantially better Cubitron sanding disks,
sales of which are now up 30%.
Finally, sometimes companies innovate from within by successfully implementing creative ideas in their
products or services. Sometimes, though, innovation is acquired by purchasing other companies that
have made innovative advances. For example, while Google is generally rated as one of the most
innovative companies in the world, most people have forgotten that Google bought YouTube to combine
its search expertise with YouTube’s online video capabilities. Over time, how much should companies
like 3M rely on acquisitions for innovation? Should 3M acquire half, one-third, 10 percent, or 5 percent
of its new products through acquisitions? What makes the most sense and why?
One way to grow a company is through internal or organic growth. And when your strategy is
innovation, like at 3M, that means innovating with new products and services developed from your
existing businesses. Another way to grow is through external growth, or buying other companies. And
when your strategy is innovation, that means acquiring or buying other companies which have developed
innovative products and services. The question is how much should 3M focus on internal growth and
innovation versus external growth and innovation through acquisitions?](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/17556-250425060554-71d4f31e/75/MGMT-7-7th-Edition-Chuck-Williams-Solutions-Manual-14-2048.jpg)
![This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States
and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no
restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it
under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this
ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the
United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where
you are located before using this eBook.
Title: The Three Brothers; vol. 3/3
Author: Mrs. Oliphant
Release date: November 22, 2018 [eBook #58322]
Most recently updated: January 24, 2021
Language: English
Credits: Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images available at The Internet Archive)
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE THREE
BROTHERS; VOL. 3/3 ***](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/17556-250425060554-71d4f31e/75/MGMT-7-7th-Edition-Chuck-Williams-Solutions-Manual-26-2048.jpg)
MGMT 7 7th Edition Chuck Williams Solutions Manual
- 1. MGMT 7 7thEdition Chuck Williams Solutions Manual download https://testbankdeal.com/product/mgmt-7-7th-edition-chuck- williams-solutions-manual/ Find test banks or solution manuals at testbankdeal.com today!
- 2. We believe theseproducts will be a great fit for you. Click the link to download now, or visit testbankdeal.com to discover even more! MGMT 7 7th Edition Chuck Williams Test Bank https://testbankdeal.com/product/mgmt-7-7th-edition-chuck-williams- test-bank/ Management 7th Edition Chuck Williams Solutions Manual https://testbankdeal.com/product/management-7th-edition-chuck- williams-solutions-manual/ Effective Management 7th Edition Chuck Williams Solutions Manual https://testbankdeal.com/product/effective-management-7th-edition- chuck-williams-solutions-manual/ Precalculus 10th Edition Sullivan Solutions Manual https://testbankdeal.com/product/precalculus-10th-edition-sullivan- solutions-manual/
- 3. Nutrition for HealthFitness and Sport 11th Edition Williams Test Bank https://testbankdeal.com/product/nutrition-for-health-fitness-and- sport-11th-edition-williams-test-bank/ ECON for Macroeconomics 1st Edition McEachern Test Bank https://testbankdeal.com/product/econ-for-macroeconomics-1st-edition- mceachern-test-bank/ Advertising and Promotion An Integrated Marketing 6th Edition Belch Test Bank https://testbankdeal.com/product/advertising-and-promotion-an- integrated-marketing-6th-edition-belch-test-bank/ Mathematical Applications for the Management Life and Social Sciences 12th Edition Harshbarger Test Bank https://testbankdeal.com/product/mathematical-applications-for-the- management-life-and-social-sciences-12th-edition-harshbarger-test- bank/ Ethics for the Information Age 5th Edition Mike Quinn Test Bank https://testbankdeal.com/product/ethics-for-the-information-age-5th- edition-mike-quinn-test-bank/
- 4. Management and CostAccounting 6th Edition Bhimani Solutions Manual https://testbankdeal.com/product/management-and-cost-accounting-6th- edition-bhimani-solutions-manual/
- 5. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 154 MGMT7 Chapter 7: Innovation and Change Pedagogy Map This chapter begins with the learning outcome summaries and terms covered in the chapter, followed by a set of lesson plans for you to use to deliver the content in Chapter 7. • Lesson Plan for Lecture (for large sections) • Lesson Plan for Group Work (for smaller classes) • Assignments with Teaching Tips and Solutions What Would You Do? Case Assignment––3M Self-Assessment––Mind Benders Management Decision––Innovation Copycats Management Team Decision––Face the Future Practice Being a Manager––Supporting Creativity Develop Your Career Potential––Spark Your Own Creativity Reel to Real Video Assignment: Management Workplace––Holden Outerwear Review Questions Additional Activities and Assignments Highlighted Assignments Key Points What Would You Do? Case Assignment 3M must return to its roots by sponsoring innovation throughout its organization. Self-Assessment The self-assessment gives students insights into how innovative their attitude is. Management Decision A company that created an innovative line of shoes needs to figure out how to deal with competitor companies that are producing counterfeit products. Management Team Decision Student groups are asked to consider how oil companies can innovate to address future energy needs. Practice Being a Manager Students examine the question of creating versus buying new ideas. Develop Your Career Potential Resources are given to help students spark their own creativity. Reel to Real Video Assignment: Management Workplace Holden Outerwear is a pioneer in active outerwear, as its products possess features that are inspired by runway brands. Supplemental Resources Where to Find Them Course Pre-Assessment IRCD Course Post-Assessment IRCD PowerPoint slides with lecture notes IRCD and online Who Wants to Be a Manager game IRCD and online
- 6. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 155 Test Bank IRCD and online What Would You Do? Quiz Online Learning Objectives 7.1 Explain why innovation matters to companies. Technology cycles typically follow an S-curve pattern of innovation. Early in the cycle, technological progress is slow, and improvements in technological performance are small. As a technology matures, however, performance improves quickly. Finally, as the limits of a technology are reached, only small improvements occur. At this point, significant improvements in performance must come from new technologies. The best way to protect a competitive advantage is to create a stream of innovative ideas and products. Innovation streams begin with technological discontinuities that create significant breakthroughs in performance or function. Technological discontinuities are followed by discontinuous change, in which customers purchase new technologies and companies compete to establish the new dominant design. Dominant designs emerge because of critical mass, because they solve a practical problem, or because of the negotiations of independent standards bodies. Because technological innovation is both enhances and destroys competence, companies that bet on the wrong design often struggle, while companies that bet on the eventual dominant design usually prosper. When a dominant design emerges, companies focus on incremental change, lowering costs, and making small but steady improvements in the dominant design. This focus continues until the next technological discontinuity occurs. 7.2 Discuss the different methods that managers can use to manage innovation in their organizations effectively. To successfully manage innovation streams, companies must manage the sources of innovation and learn to manage innovation during both discontinuous and incremental change. Since innovation begins with creativity, companies can manage the sources of innovation by supporting a work environment in which creative thoughts and ideas are welcomed, valued, and encouraged. Creative work environments provide challenging work; offer organizational, supervisory, and work group encouragement; allow significant freedom; and remove organizational impediments to creativity. Discontinuous and incremental change require different strategies. Companies that succeed in periods of discontinuous change typically follow an experiential approach to innovation. The experiential approach assumes that intuition, flexible options, and hands-on experience can reduce uncertainty and accelerate learning and understanding. A compression approach to innovation works best during periods of incremental change. This approach assumes that innovation can be planned using a series of steps and that compressing the time it takes to complete those steps can speed up innovation. 7.3 Discuss why not changing can lead to organizational decline. The five-stage process of organizational decline begins when organizations don’t recognize the need for change. In the blinded stage, managers fail to recognize the changes that threaten their organization’s survival. In the inaction stage, management recognizes the need to change but doesn’t act, hoping that the problems will correct themselves. In the faulty action stage, management focuses on cost cutting and efficiency rather than facing up to the fundamental changes needed to ensure survival. In the crisis stage, failure is likely unless fundamental reorganization occurs. Finally, in the dissolution stage, the company is dissolved through bankruptcy proceedings; by selling assets to pay creditors; or through the closing of stores, offices, and facilities. If companies recognize the need to change early enough, however, dissolution may be avoided.
- 7. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 156 7.4 Discuss the different methods that managers can use to better manage change as it occurs. The basic change process is unfreezing, change, and refreezing. Resistance to change stems from self- interest, misunderstanding and distrust as well as a general intolerance for change. It can be managed through education and communication, participation, negotiation, top management support, and coercion. Knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do to achieve successful change. Managers should avoid these errors when leading change: not establishing urgency, not creating a guiding coalition, lacking a vision, undercommunicating the vision, not removing obstacles to the vision, not creating short- term wins, declaring victory too soon, and not anchoring changes in the corporation’s culture. Finally, managers can use a number of change techniques. Results-driven change and the GE workout reduce resistance to change by getting change efforts off to a fast start. Organizational development is a collection of planned change interventions (large system, small group, person-focused), guided by a change agent, that are designed to improve an organization’s long-term health and performance. Terms Change agent Change forces Change intervention Coercion Compression approach to innovation Creative work environments Creativity Design competition Design iteration Discontinuous change Dominant design Experiential approach to innovation Flow General Electric workout Generational change Incremental change Innovation streams Milestones Multifunctional teams Organizational change Organizational decline Organizational development Organizational innovation Product prototype Refreezing Resistance forces Resistance to change Results-driven change S-curve pattern of innovation Technological discontinuity Technological lockout Technological substitution Technology cycle Testing Unfreezing Lesson Plan for Lecture (for large sections) Pre-Class Prep for You: Pre-Class Prep for Your Students: • Review the chapter and determine what points to cover. • Bring the PPT slides. • Bring the book. Warm Up Begin Chapter 7 by giving your students a brainteaser to solve. The game Mind Trap offers several, as do any number of Mensa puzzle books on the market. Content Delivery Lecture slides: Make note of where you stop so you can pick up at the next class meeting. Slides have teaching notes on them to help you as you lecture.
- 8. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 157 Topics PowerPoint Slides Activities 7.1 Why Innovation Matters 7.1a Technology Cycles 7.1b Innovation Streams 1: Innovation and Change 2: Learning Outcomes 3: Technology Cycles 4: S-Curves and Technological Innovation 5: Innovation Streams: Technology Cycles over Time 6: Emergence of Dominant Design Launch your lecture with your brainteaser and prompt students to think of what a brainteaser has to do with innovation. (New problems or new ways of thinking about old problems lead to innovation and new technology.) 7.2 Managing Innovation 7.2a Managing Sources of Innovation 7.2b Experiential Approach: Managing Innovation during Discontinuous Change 7.2c Compression Approach: Managing Innovation during Incremental Change 7: Managing Innovation 8: Components of Creative Work Environments 9: Experiential Approach 10: Compression Approach 7.3 Organizational Decline: The Risk of Not Changing 11: The Risk of Not Changing The text uses General Motors as an extended example of organizational decline. It might be interesting in class to do an “intensive care” review of General Motors’ situation. 7.3 Managing Change 7.4a Managing Resistance to Change 7.4b What Not to Do When Leading Change 7.4c Change Tools and Techniques 12: Forces 13: Resistance to Change 14: Organizational Change Process 15: Managing Resistance to Change 16: Mistakes Managers Make 17: Change Tools and Techniques 18: General Steps for Organizational Development Intervention 19: Different Kinds of Organizational Development Interventions Reel to Real Videos 20: Holden Outerwear Launch the video in slide 20. Questions on the slide can guide discussion.
- 9. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 158 Adjust the lecture to include the activities in the right column. Some activities should be done before introducing the concept, some after. Conclusion and Preview Assignments: 1. Give students some experience in developing their own innovative thinking. Assign the Develop Your Career Potential exercise, or adapt the Ideation activity in the Additional Activities and Assignments section for homework. To do so, require students to assemble the disparate items and create a hat, vehicle, animal, or other item you determine. Have them submit a photo of their item along with a written piece on how their innovation process evolved, the challenges of the assignment, and their reaction to the assignment in general. 2. Assign students to review Chapter 7 and read the next chapter on your syllabus. Remind students about any upcoming events. Lesson Plan for Group Work (for smaller classes) Pre-Class Prep for You: Pre-Class Prep for Your Students: • Review the material to cover and modify the lesson plan to meet your needs. • Set up the classroom so that small groups of 4 to 5 students can sit together. • Bring the book. Warm Up Begin Chapter 7 by asking your students to work a brainteaser that you bring to class. The game MindTrap is full of examples, as are the numerous Mensa and Mensa-style puzzle books on the market. Content Delivery Lecture on Why Innovation Matters and Managing Innovation (Sections 7.1 and 7.2). A necessary component of innovation is creativity the creative work environment. To give your students a break from the traditional tenor of the academic classes they likely take, use the teaching notes below to do the Develop Your Career Potential in class. Conversely, break for this group activity: “Ideation” Divide the class into small groups of 3 to 4 students and give each group a bag of disparate items. (Things rescued from the trash like milk jugs and lids, toilet paper tubes, and broken mechanical items make good resources.) Charge each group with building something you specify, like a hat or a vehicle, or with first deciding what to build and then actually doing it. Depending on your resources, consider giving a set of building materials to each student and even inviting a professor from the industrial design department (if your university has an engineering and/or design college) to visit your class that day to help with the activity. After the students have finished, let them present their design to the class. If time allows, let students critique each design, making recommendations for improvement or refinement. Come back together as a class to share results from the group activity.
- 10. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 159 Segue into the next section by asking students “Does change matter?” Lecture on Organizational Decline: The Risk of Not Changing (Section 7.3). Introduce the section on Managing Change (Section 7.4) by lecturing on change forces, resistance forces, and resistance to change. Break for the following activity: “What’s Happening” Divide the class into groups of 3 to 4 students to map what is happening to at least 2 companies facing significant change forces. For each company, students need to list what they perceive to be the change and resistance forces at work. General Motors, Saks Fifth Avenue, Walgreens, Sony, and ExxonMobil are some examples. Consider letting students pick one company to work with in addition to the one you give them. Also consider giving each group a different set of companies so that when you come back together as a class to share information, you’ll have a wide range of forces to discuss. Segue into the next section by asking students how they feel about change: embrace it, take wait-and-see attitude, resist it, sabotage it, etc. You’ll probably get the majority of hands at the “wait-and-see” or “resist it” probes. Ask students to account for the results: • “Why do you think that is? I mean, why do people tend to be resistant to change?” • ‘What problems can that tendency create for managers?” • “What do you think managers can do to reduce that resistance?” Lecture on Managing Resistance to Change and What Not to Do When Leading Change (Sections 7.4a and 7.4b). Segue into the lecture on Change Tools and Techniques (7.4c). After presenting the various techniques in the book, simulate the GE Workout by doing the following group activity: “GE Workout for Campus President” As an entire class, brainstorm a list of specific problems at your college or university. Problems can be related to any aspect of the campus (finances, registration, social activities, sports, etc.). Divide students into medium-sized groups of 8 to 10 students. Ask 1 student from each group to volunteer to be the campus president for that group. Have the managers leave the room (or sit together away from their “department chairs”) for 5 minutes and let them think of possible solutions their teammates might put before them. Reintegrate the presidents with their management teams and conduct the GE Workout. Time this part of the exercise to simulate the rapid nature of the workout. You don’t want to give the presidents too long to decide on any given item or to get into debates/discussions with department chairs about the topic. Conclusion and Assignments: 1. As an assignment that follows up the Ideation exercise above, have students write
- 11. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 160 Preview a paragraph about their experience with the design process and one about their response to the critique process. 2. If you have finished covering Chapter 7, assign students to review Chapter 8 and read the next chapter on your syllabus. Remind students about any upcoming events. Assignments with Teaching Tips and Solutions What Would You Do? Case Assignment 3M Minneapolis, Minnesota With 40,000 global patents and patent applications, 3M, maker of Post-it notes, reflective materials (Scotch lite), and 55,000 products in numerous industries (displays and graphics, electronics and communications, health care, safety and security, transportation, manufacturing, office products, and home and leisure), has long been one of the most innovative companies in the world. 3M codified its focus on innovation into a specific goal, “30/5,” which meant that 30 percent of its sales each year must come from products no more than five years old. The logic was simple but powerful. Each year, five- year-old products become six years old and would not be counted toward the 30 percent of sales. Thus, the 30/5 goal encouraged everyone at 3M to be on the lookout for and open to new ideas and products. Furthermore, 3M allowed its engineers and scientists to spend 5 percent of their time, roughly a half-day per week, doing whatever they wanted as long as it was related to innovation and new product development. And it worked, for a while. A decade ago, the Boston Consulting Group, one of the premier consulting companies in the world, ranked 3M as the most innovative company in the world. In subsequent years, it dropped to second, third, and then seventh. Today, 3M doesn’t even crack the top 50. Dev Patnaik, of Jump Associates, an innovation consulting firm, says, “People have kind of forgotten about those guys [3M]. When was the last time you saw something innovative or experimental coming out of there?” So, what happened? When your predecessor became CEO ten years ago, he found a struggling, inefficient, oversized company in need of change. He cut costs by laying off 8,000 people. Marketing, and research and development funds, which had been allocated to divisions independent of performance (all divisions got the same increase each year), were now distributed based on past performance and growth potential. Perform poorly, and your funds would shrink the next year. Likewise, with U.S. sales stagnating and Asia sales rising, management decreased headcount, hiring, and capital expenditures in the United States, while significantly increasing all three in fast-growing Asian markets. Six Sigma processes, popularized at Motorola and GE, were introduced to analyze how things got done, to remove unnecessary steps, and to change procedures which caused defects. Thousands of 3M managers and employees became trained as Six Sigma “black belts” and returned to their divisions and departments to root out inefficiencies, reduce production times, and decrease waste and product errors. And it worked incredibly well, in part. Costs and capital spending dropped, while profits surged 35 percent to record levels. But, product innovation, as compared to the 30/5 goal sank dramatically, as only 21 percent of profits were generated by products that were no more than five years old. So, what should 3M do? From inception, 3M has been an innovator, bringing a stream of new products and services to market, creating value for customers, sustainable advantage over competitors, and sizable returns for investors. Thanks to your predecessor, 3M has lower costs, is highly efficient, and much more profitable. But it no longer ranks among the most innovative firms in the world. In fact, the use of Six Sigma procedures appears to be inversely related to product innovation. If that’s the case, should 3M continue to focus on using Six Sigma procedures to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, or
- 12. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 161 should it strive again to encourage its scientists and managers to focus on innovation? Which will make 3M more competitive in the long run? When people think of innovation, they tend to think of game-changing advances that render current products obsolete, for example, comparing the iPhone to text-based “smartphones.” Innovation, however, also occurs with lots of incremental changes over time. What are the advantages and disadvantages for 3M of each approach, and when and where would each be more likely to work? Finally, some companies innovate from within by successfully implementing creative ideas in their products or services. Sometimes, though, innovation is acquired by purchasing other companies that have made innovative advances. For example, although Google is generally rated as one of the most innovative companies in the world, most people have forgotten that Google bought YouTube to combine its search expertise with YouTube’s online video capabilities. Over time, how much should companies like 3M rely on acquisitions for innovation? Should 3M acquire half, one-third, 10 percent, or 5 percent of its new products through acquisitions? What makes the most sense and why? If you were in charge at 3M, what would you do? Sources: “The 50 Most Innovative Companies 2010,” Bloomberg Businessweek, http://www.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/innovative_companies_2010.html [accessed 4 May 2011]; M. Arndt & D. Brady, “3M’s Rising Star,” BusinessWeek, 12 April 2004, 62-74; M. Gunther, M. Adamo, & B. Feldman, “3M'S Innovation Revival,” Fortune, 27 September 2010, 73-76; B. Hindo, “3M: Struggle between Efficiency and Creativity,” BusinessWeek Online, 17 September 2007, 36. What Really Happened? Solution In the opening case, you learned that 3M, once the most innovative company in the world, was no longer considered innovative. While layoffs, allocating research & development funds based on performance and potential, and Six Sigma processes – the latter of which rooted out inefficiencies, reduced production times, and decreased waste and production errors – led to significantly reduced costs and record profits, product innovation, as measured by the percentage of percentage of profits generated by products that were no more than five years old, dropped to a record low of 21%, dramatically below the company’s long-term goal of 30%. Let’s find out what happened at 3M and see what steps CEO George Buckley took to improve 3M’s ability to introduce innovative products and services. So, what should 3M do? From inception, 3M has been an innovator, bringing a stream of new products and services to market, creating value for customers, sustainable advantage over competitors, and sizable returns for investors. Thanks to your predecessor, 3M has lower costs, is highly efficient, and much more profitable. But, it no longer ranks among the most innovative firms in the world. In fact, the use of Six Sigma procedures appears to be inversely related to product innovation. If that’s the case, should 3M continue to focus on using Six Sigma procedures to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, or should it strive again to encourage its scientists and managers to focus on innovation? Which will make 3M more competitive in the long run? In Chapter 6, we learned that organizations can create competitive advantage for themselves if they have a distinctive competence that allows them to make, do, or perform something better than their competitors. A competitive advantage becomes sustainable if other companies cannot duplicate the benefits obtained from that distinctive competence. Technological innovation, however, can enable competitors to duplicate the benefits obtained from a company’s distinctive advantage. In other words, innovation can allow companies that fall behind to catch up. And, sometimes, innovation can be so disruptive that market leaders become market followers as their competitive advantage turns into a competitive disadvantage. Consequently, companies that want to sustain a competitive advantage must understand and protect themselves from the strategic threats of innovation. Over the long run, the best way for a company to do
- 13. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 162 that is to create a stream of its own innovative ideas and products year after year. When a company does that, it’s called an innovation stream, that is, a pattern of innovation over time that creates sustainable competitive advantage. Innovation streams prevent competitors from catching up because new innovations keep market leaders, one, two, or three-steps ahead of their competition. While Six Sigma procedures helped make 3M more efficient, reduce costs, and highly profitable, it also made the company less innovative. In terms of long run competitiveness and profitability, should 3M continue to focus on costs and efficiencies, or should it encourage its managers and scientists to be more innovative? In the long run, innovation is likely to be a more profitable strategy than low costs and efficiency. Why? Because the latter are easier to duplicate, which is another way of saying it’s more difficult to sustain a competitive advantage based on costs and efficiency. And while innovation is a more profitable strategy because firms can charge more for innovative, value-added products and services that aren’t available from competitors, it is difficult, as 3M’s experience has shown, to maintain an innovation stream, that is, a pattern of innovation over time that creates sustainable competitive advantage. One sure thing, however, is that while Six Sigma processes increased 3M’s short-run profitability, it also hurt the company’s ability to innovate. CEO George Buckley observed, “Invention is by its very nature a disorderly process. You can't put a Six Sigma process into that area and say, well, I'm getting behind on invention, so I'm going to schedule myself for three good ideas on Wednesday and two on Friday. That's not how creativity works.” Former 3M employee Michael Mucci said, “We all came to the conclusion that there was no way in the world that anything like a Post-it note would ever emerge from this new system [meaning Six Sigma].” Art Fry, the 3M scientist who invented the Post-it Note, one of 3M’s most successful products, said innovation is, “a numbers game. You have to go through 5,000 to 6,000 raw ideas to find one successful business.” Because the point of Six Sigma is to eliminate waste, that is, all of the ideas it takes to find that one great product or service, Fry believes that Six Sigma was destroying 3M’s innovation culture. Said Fry, “What's remarkable is how fast a culture can be torn apart." When people think of innovation, they tend to think of game-changing advances that render current products obsolete, for example, such as comparing the iPhone to text-based “smart phones.” Innovation, however, also occurs with lots of incremental changes over time. What are the advantages and disadvantages for 3M of each approach, and when and where would each be more likely to work? “Game-changing advances” in technology are also known as discontinuous change, where old standards are made obsolete by new technological standards. In other words, new technology displaces old technology. Discontinuous change is accompanied by uncertainty because no one is sure in periods of discontinuous change which technological approaches will become the new standard, that is, the new dominant design. In highly uncertainly environments during periods of discontinuous change, it’s best to use the experiential approach, which assumes that intuition, flexible options, and hands-on experience can reduce uncertainty and accelerate learning and understanding. This approach involves frequent design iterations, frequent testing, regular milestones, creation of multifunctional teams, and use of powerful leaders to guide the innovation process. Whereas the experiential approach is used to manage innovation in highly uncertain environments during periods of discontinuous change, the compression approach is used to manage innovation in more certain environments during periods of incremental change Whereas the goals of the experiential approach are significant improvements in performance and the establishment of a new dominant design, the goals of the compression approach are lower costs and incremental improvements in the performance and function of the existing dominant design. With the experiential approach, the general strategy is to build something new, different, and substantially better. Because there’s so much uncertainty—no one knows which technology will become the market leader—companies adopt a winner-take-all approach by trying to create the market-leading, dominant design. With the compression approach, the general strategy is to compress the time and steps
- 14. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 163 needed to bring about small, consistent improvements in performance and functionality. Because a dominant technology design already exists, the general strategy is to continue improving the existing technology as rapidly as possible. In short, a compression approach to innovation assumes that innovation is a predictable process, that incremental innovation can be planned using a series of steps, and that compressing the time it takes to complete those steps can speed up innovation. What are the advantages and disadvantages for 3M of each approach, and when and where would each be more likely to work? Beyond the issues mentioned above, the primary issue is cost and time frame. It’s generally more expensive and takes longer to use the experiential approach to compete with other companies to try to establish a new dominant design. After all, only one, or at best, two companies will “win.” And, if your company’s design isn’t the “winner,” you’ll lose all of your development costs with few ways to recoup them in the marketplace. Cost considerations may be why 3M CEO George Buckley has encouraged 3M’s managers and scientists to focus on innovating around its core products and services in 3M’s largest markets. Furthermore, Buckley is encouraging his scientists to use the compression approach to innovation where they focus on “inventing hundreds of next small things,” that is, making current products a little bit better year after year. Buckley calls this finding innovations “at the bottom of the pyramid.” And not only is he encouraging incremental improvements in innovation, he’s also pushing 3M’s people to innovate in ways that reduce product costs. One example is 3M’s low-cost respirator mask. Buckley said, “I didn't drive the invention of this, but I said the invention of this is necessary. You have to drive out costs to defend yourself against competition. I wanted the manufacturing process that made these respirators [to have] a quadrupling in speed and efficiency.” Says Buckley, “We often think innovation is making a breakthrough at the top of the pyramid. That's often not where the hardest challenges are. The hardest challenges are often: How do I make a breakthrough for next to nothing?” Another example of the incremental approach to innovation using the compression method is when 3M scientists can leverage ideas from other products or scientists in the company. 3M was able to do this with its Cubitron sanding disks. 3M knew that its sanding disks would work better if each tiny piece of ceramic “sand” on its sanding disks was identical. That would allow the disks to act more like a razor blade when sanding off layers of materials. But, the reality was that each piece of ceramic “sand” was a different shape with a slightly different size. That meant that the sanding disks made uneven contact with sanding surfaces, which produced “bouncing” that made it more difficult to do a quality sanding job. Scott Culler, a 3M Scientist said, “The big voila happened." And that “big voila” was realizing that 3M’s micro-replicating technology, used to create identical reflective materials in reflective roads signs, could also be used to create identical, tiny pieces of ceramic sand. It took 15 months to perfect the process, but Culler and his fellow scientists were able to do it and produce substantially better Cubitron sanding disks, sales of which are now up 30%. Finally, sometimes companies innovate from within by successfully implementing creative ideas in their products or services. Sometimes, though, innovation is acquired by purchasing other companies that have made innovative advances. For example, while Google is generally rated as one of the most innovative companies in the world, most people have forgotten that Google bought YouTube to combine its search expertise with YouTube’s online video capabilities. Over time, how much should companies like 3M rely on acquisitions for innovation? Should 3M acquire half, one-third, 10 percent, or 5 percent of its new products through acquisitions? What makes the most sense and why? One way to grow a company is through internal or organic growth. And when your strategy is innovation, like at 3M, that means innovating with new products and services developed from your existing businesses. Another way to grow is through external growth, or buying other companies. And when your strategy is innovation, that means acquiring or buying other companies which have developed innovative products and services. The question is how much should 3M focus on internal growth and innovation versus external growth and innovation through acquisitions?
- 15. Visit https://testbankdead.com now toexplore a rich collection of testbank, solution manual and enjoy exciting offers!
- 16. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 164 It’s a difficult question to answer. When innovation is your core competency and your company’s source of competitive advantage, relying too much on acquisitions for innovation is an admission that you’re failing to generate enough innovative products and services from your existing businesses. And, while it’s expensive to develop new products and services internally, it’s more expensive to acquire them by buying other companies. On the other hand, acquiring other companies is a relatively quick way to fill holes in product and service offerings, or to bring in a critical, already developed technology that can be leveraged throughout existing businesses. However, there’s also the risk that acquired companies won’t succeed. A meta-analysis based on 103 studies and a sample of 25,205 companies indicates that, on average, acquiring other companies actually hurts the value of the acquiring firm. In other words, there is only a 45 percent chance that growing a company through external acquisitions will work! If there’s a less than 50% chance that acquired companies will prosper, is there some way to increase the odds of success when acquiring companies and their technological innovations? The best approach is probably related diversification, in which the different business units share similar products, manufacturing, marketing, technology, or cultures. The key to related diversification is to acquire or create new companies with core capabilities that complement the core capabilities of businesses already in the corporate portfolio. While seemingly different, most of 3M’s product divisions are based in some fashion on its distinctive competencies in adhesives and tape (e.g., wet or dry sandpaper, Post-it notes, Scotchgard fabric protector, transdermal skin patches, and reflective material used in traffic signs). Furthermore, all of 3M’s divisions share its strong corporate culture that promotes and encourages risk taking and innovation. In sum, in contrast to a single, undiversified business or unrelated diversification, related diversification reduces risk because the different businesses can work as a team, relying on each other for needed experience, expertise, and support. The improvement of 3M’s Cubitron sanding disks above is an example of the advantages of related diversification. To what extent will 3M rely on acquisitions as it executives its innovation strategy? According to CEO George Buckley, 3M will spend about $1 billion a year to buy 15 to 20 companies. Said Buckley, “We are using these kind of acquisitions to show the art of the possible when it can be done fast.” For example, 3M paid $810 million to buy Arizant, a medical company whose products keep anesthetized patients, who lose the ability to regulate their temperatures, warm. Arizant complements other product offerings in 3M’s health care division, particularly in its infection prevention division. How successful has CEO George Buckley been at making 3M an innovative company again? After restoring the 5% rule, which allows 3M engineers and scientists to spend 5% of their time each week on anything they want, as long at its related to innovation and new product development, and after significantly increasing 3M’s research and development spending, and after limiting Six Sigma practices to factories and removing it from the rest of the company, particularly research labs, 3M has rebounded strongly. 3M’s organic growth rate from products it develops from existing businesses is a healthy 7-8% a year. As a result, it is introducing 1,000 new products a year. Finally, after dropping to a low of 23%, new products that are 5 years old or less, now account for 31% of 3M’s sales, surpassing the company goal of 30% for the first time in years. Self-Assessment MIND BENDERS Because innovation is a key to corporate success in many industries, companies will often hire outside consultants to help tap the creativity of their work force. Their goal in doing so is to fill any gaps in their own creative thinking by looking outside the organization. For managers, being able to think creatively is an important skill. Creativity should be part of a manager’s conceptual toolkit. The assessment for this chapter is designed to reveal a person’s openness to innovation and his or her attitude toward creative endeavors. It is not an assessment or indicator of a person’s level of creativity. This survey is based on research presented in J. E. Ettlie and R. D. O’Keefe, “Innovative Attitudes, Values, and Intentions in Organizations,” Journal of Management Studies 19 (1982): 163–182.
- 17. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 165 In-Class Use Have students go to cengagebrain.com to access the Self-Assessment activity. Use the Self-Assessment PowerPoint slides and have students raise their hand as you read off the scoring ranges. Tell students to keep their hand up until you have counted the responses for each item and entered the count into the spreadsheet embedded in the PowerPoint presentation. Display the distribution to the class so students can see where they fit. Scoring Add up the numbers associated with your responses to the 20 items. Generally speaking, the higher your score, the more innovative your attitude. Compare your score to the norm group (consisting of graduate and undergraduate business school students, all of whom were employed full time) represented in the table below. Percentile indicates the percent of the people who are expected to score below you. Score Percentile 39 5 53 16 62 33 71 50 70 68 89 86 97 95 If you are unhappy with your score (meaning you would like to improve it), the Develop Your Career Potential consists of some fun activities to help you develop your creative side. Management Decision Purpose In this exercise, students are given the opportunity to take on the role of an innovator that is facing serious competition from counterfeiters. A shoe company that has introduced a novel product line sees diminished sales because of other companies that are selling unauthorized duplicates. Students must consider how they are to deal with not only the threat of competitors, but a threat against the company’s innovation. Setting It Up You can introduce this exercise by showing students some recent statistics on the financial impact of piracy and counterfeiting. For example, a recent article on Dailytech.com shows that shows that companies around the world lost more than $50 billion due to software and movie piracy. With such a huge financial impact, then, what steps should a company take to protect its property? INNOVATION COPYCATS Until a few years ago, your company, Vibram, was known for making soles for hiking boots. It’s the only thing your company did for over 75 years. But one day, a member of your design team came up with a quirky idea—running shoes that look like gloves for your feet. The prototype he showed you was thin, lightweight, and kind of funny looking, since it had individual sections for each toe. As the designer
- 18. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 166 explained to you, the shoe would give the wearer the feeling of running barefoot, while protecting his or her feet from dirt and cuts. Seemingly overnight, the shoe, called FiveFingers, became a sensation. It was praised by professional athletes, amateur runners, journalists, and even the Harvard Medical School. Scientists wrote about how your shoes promoted a “barefoot” running-style that produces less stress on the joints and increased leg, ankle, and foot strength. And consumers could not get enough. Sales for the current year are expected to top $50 million, up from $11 million in the previous year. To meet demand, Vibram had to double their warehouse space and expand from one factory to five. Not all is rosy with Vibram, however. First of all, it faces stiff competition from some of the biggest names in the athletic apparel industry, as Nike, New Balance, and others are planning to release a similar product. But even more worrisome are counterfeiters. Over the past few months, you’ve discovered more than 200 websites that sell fake versions of the FiveFingers shoes. And these websites aren’t just selling shoes that sort of look like yours—they’re almost exact copies. They have the same styles, colors, logo, and box design. They have a return label that looks just like yours, and has your company’s address on it! When consumers want to return the fakes, they end up in your offices, and customers want you to refund them for shoes they bought from a counterfeiter. Your company, of course, wants to fight back against the counterfeiters. Not only do the fake shoes reduce your sales, but they could also hurt your reputation of producing high-quality products. But fighting counterfeiters is expensive. You have to hire and send inspectors to China, where most of the factories producing copies of your shoes are located. And for every fake website you find, it costs $2,500 to get the World Intellectual Property Organization to shut it down. How should your respond to companies that take advantage of a product that your company worked so hard to design and create? Source: Jennifer Alsever, “Barefoot Shoes Try to Outrace the Black Market,” CNNMoney.com., August 13, 2010, accessed http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/13/smallbusiness/vibram_fivefingers/index.htm. Questions 1. As a manager, would you recommend that Vibram keep paying the costs associated with fighting counterfeiters? Why or why not? Students’ responses will vary depending on how they view the costs associated with fighting counterfeiters. Some may argue that the costs are simply part of being an innovator in the market, while others may feel that the costs are too excessive, and that it is better for the company to devote its resources elsewhere. 2. Some Virbram employees might be discouraged by counterfeiters, feeling that the innovations they worked hard to create are being stolen too quickly. How would you nurture the creative environment at Vibram in spite of counterfeiters? The text discusses a number of ways in which companies can create creative work environments. Creative work environments have six components that encourage creativity: challenging work, organizational encouragement, supervisory encouragement, work group encouragement, freedom, and a lack of organizational impediments. Students should also note that creative work environments require three kinds of encouragement: organizational, supervisory, and work group encouragement. Organizational encouragement of creativity occurs when management encourages risk taking and new ideas, supports and fairly evaluates new ideas, rewards and recognizes creativity, and encourages the sharing of new ideas throughout different parts of the company. Supervisory encouragement of creativity occurs when supervisors provide clear goals, encourage open interaction with subordinates, and actively support development teams’ work and ideas. Work group encouragement occurs when group members have diverse experience, education, and backgrounds and the group fosters mutual openness to ideas; positive, constructive challenge to ideas; and shared commitment to ideas.
- 19. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 167 Management Team Decision Purpose This case gives students an opportunity to think about how a company should position itself within a changing technological environment. Setting It Up To introduce this case, ask students if they are familiar with the following list of companies: Emerson, Philco, Sylvania, Westinghouse. These are all the names of once dominant American companies that once manufactured televisions, but which went out of business because of their inability to respond to technological changes in the market. Thus, you can use this brief exercise to remind students that companies can quickly fade away if they do not evolve with changing times. FACE THE FUTURE Times don’t seem to be much better to be in the oil business. Sure, there have been some bumps in the road the past few years—the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and unstable prices and supply due to political situations. But there’s one piece of news that makes all those obstacles easier to deal with— profits are up, and not just a little bit either. Profits are positively soaring. Exxon announced that its earnings for the most recent quarter were up 69 percent from the previous year, to $10.65 billion. Royal Dutch Shell posted an increase of 30 percent to $6.29 billion, even while experiencing a 2.5 percent decrease in production, and Occidental Petroleum’s earnings jumped 46 percent to $1.55 billion. Times certainly seem to be great, but there are many executives in your company who are pushing for big changes. Sure, they argue, revenues and earnings and profits are sky-high right now. But what about the future? Consumers and governments around the world are growing more concerned about oil—about how it impacts the environment and about whether there will be enough to meet fuel demands. In response to these concerns, there has been much research and development dedicated to alternative fuel vehicles, from all-electric cars like the Nissan Leaf, to gas-electric hybrids like the Chevy Volt or hydrogen-powered cars like the Honda FCX Clarity. And consumers have responded quite favorably. In just four short months, GM sold over 2,000 Volts and Nissan sold over 1,000 Leafs. What’s even a more encouraging sign is that nearly 20,000 customers have already paid a deposit to be put on a waiting list for the Leaf, and almost 54,000 are on the Volt waiting list. The executives pushing for change point to these figures as a sign that the auto industry will soon experience a dramatic shift. They’re arguing that the age of the gasoline engine (along with gas stations and gas companies) will soon be over, replaced by a more environmentally friendly method of fueling cars. In their view, the company should act now, and quickly, to take advantage of this shift by investing in a nation-wide network of electric charging stations, where consumers recharge their all-electric or plug-in hybrid cars. That way, when gas-engine technology is eventually surpassed, your company will be in prime position to provide recharging infrastructure to the entire country. There are others in the company, however, who doubt that this is the right step to take. Although they recognize that gas engines may not last forever, they’re not convinced that it’s a technology in decline. They recognize as well that sales of electric cars and hybrids are on the rise, but these are still microscopic compared to the 11.5 million conventional cars sold in the United States or the 18 million sold in China last year. They are also concerned that all-electric cars are just one choice among many alternative fuels; there are also hydrogen-powered cars, natural gas–powered cars, biofuels, and who knows what else will be developed in the future. Their great worry is that the company will spend huge amounts of time and money to develop a recharging network only to have another alternative fuel rise as the dominant design. So what should the company do? Should it look the future right now, even as its earnings from oil are near record highs? Or should it stay the course? For this Management Team Decision, form a group with three or four other students and answer the questions below. Sources:
- 20. Chapter 7: Innovationand Change 168 Nevin Batiwalla, “Nissan's Leaf Sales Spike in April,” Nashville Business Journal, May 3, 2011, accessed May 9, 2011, from www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/05/03/nissan-leaf-sales-spike.html; “China 2010 Auto Sales Reach 18 Million, Extend Lead,” Bloomberg Businessweek, January 10, 2011, accessed May 9, 2011, from www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-10/china-2010-auto-sales-reach-18-million-extend-lead-update1-.html; Craig Trudell “U.S. Auto Sales Probably Rose, Completed 2010 Rebound,” Bloomberg Businessweek, January 3, 2011, accessed May 9, 2011, from www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-03/u-s-auto-sales-may-match-2010-high- complete-first-annual-gain-in-5-years.html; GM Volt Wait List Data, accessed May 9, 2011, from http://gm- volt.com/wait-list-data/; Isabel Ordonez, “Exxon, Shell Profits Soar On Higher Oil Prices,” The Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2011, accessed May 9, 2011, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704330404576291350999515650.html; “Sales Update: Nissan Leaf Hits 573, Chevy Volt at 493 in April,”Autoblog.com, May 3, 2011, accessed May 9, 2011, from www.autoblog.com/2011/05/03/sales-update-nissan-leaf-hits-573-chevy-volt-at-493-in-april/. Questions 1. What is your recommendation for how the company should proceed? Should it take action on developing an alternative fuel network or wait until a dominant design arises? Students’ responses will vary. 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a technology format before a dominant design arises? The primary advantage is that the absence of a dominant design means that the company has an opportunity to establish a significant competitive advantage for itself. The company can act aggressively to establish itself as the dominant design and thereby establish itself as the unquestioned leader in alternative fuels. The primary disadvantage is the level of risk involved. If the oil company develops the “wrong” fuel, or if a competitor’s alternative somehow gains the upper hand, then the company will have wasted considerable resources, with lithe to show for it. 3. What steps could the company take to help ensure that electric engines become the dominant design? Some of the steps that the company could take include: forming alliances or working relationships with other energy providers; forming alliances with auto manufacturers to insure that they pursue electric engines as opposed to other alternatives; conducting aggressive marketing campaigns to highlight the benefits of electric engines; investing in a comprehensive refueling network so that consumers won’t worry about the difficulty of recharging their cars; working with government officials to provide manufacturers incentives to produce electric cars and consumers incentives to buy them. Practice Being a Manager SUPPORTING CREATIVITY Exercise Overview and Objective This exercise is a basic simulation of the interaction between members of the same organization who occupy inventor roles, and those who occupy investor roles. Although organizations use cross-functional teams and other tools to help them synthesize invention and investment perspectives, it is not uncommon to encounter groups of employees in the same organization who exhibit much greater loyalty to one or the other of these roles. In such cases, the two groups may find it challenging to work collaboratively. The purpose of this exercise is to help students feel this basic tension between inventor and investor and then to discuss its likely impacts on innovation and change. Preparation No student preparation is necessary for this exercise. You may wish to ask students to scan the Web site of a company similar to that described in the exercise—“large clothing and accessories company that
- 21. Random documents withunrelated content Scribd suggests to you:
- 25. The Project GutenbergeBook of The Three Brothers; vol. 3/3
- 26. This ebook isfor the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook. Title: The Three Brothers; vol. 3/3 Author: Mrs. Oliphant Release date: November 22, 2018 [eBook #58322] Most recently updated: January 24, 2021 Language: English Credits: Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) *** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE THREE BROTHERS; VOL. 3/3 ***
- 27. THE THREE BROTHERS. BY MRS.OLIPHANT, AUTHOR OF ‘CHRONICLES OF CARLINGFORD,’ ‘SALEM CHAPEL,’ ‘THE MINISTER’S WIFE,’ ETC. ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 13 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1870. The Right of Translation is Reserved. LONDON: Strangeways and Walden, Printers, 28 Castle St. Leicester Sq.
- 28. CONTENTS OF THE THIRD VOLUME. PAGE I.ALICE’SFATE 1 II.A STRUGGLE 16 III.EXCHANGED INTO THE 200TH 36 IV.WHAT IT COSTS TO HAVE ONE’S WAY 56 V.THE FALLING OF THE WATERS 73 VI.THE RAVEN 93 VII.THE DOVE 113 VIII.BEN 133 IX.THE NEXT MORNING 154 X.AUNT LYDIA 174 XI.ALL HOME 184 XII.SUSPENSE 199 XIII.THE WILL 220 XIV.THE END OF A DREAM 241 XV.AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR 262 XVI.WHAT IT ALL MEANT TO LAURIE 283 XVII.CONCLUSION 304 THE THREE BROTHERS.
- 29. CHAPTER I. ALICE’S FATE. AliceSevern was very innocent and very young,—just over sixteen,— a child to all intents and purposes,—as everybody thought around her. Old Welby, who had taken to meddling in the padrona’s affairs, with that regard which the friends of a woman who is alone feel themselves entitled to display for her interests, had been pressing very earnestly upon Mrs. Severn’s attention the necessity of preparing her child, who had an evident and remarkable talent, to exercise it in public. ‘Few people, indeed, have their way so clear before them,’ he had said repeatedly. ‘It is the finest thing in the world to have a girl or boy with a decided turn. If you could but see the parents who come to me with sons who don’t know what they would be at; and the idiots think they may be made painters because they care for nothing in earth or heaven. But here is this child with a talent. Of course, if it were a talent for our own art, we might know better how to manage it; but such as it is, it is a gift. Never undervalue a gift, my dear madam. Providence itself points out the way for you. You have only got to train her for her work.’ ‘But, Mr. Welby,’ pleaded the padrona, ‘she is such a child. How could I send my little maid out into the world to appear in public! I could not do it! It would drive me out of my senses. My child! You forget what kind of a creature she is.’ ‘I don’t in the least forget,’ said the R.A. ‘She is very pretty, too, which is a pity; but you should be above foolish notions in that respect,—you who are so well known to the public yourself.’ ‘Not so very well known,’ said the padrona, with a half smile; ‘and then it is only my name, not me. And even if it were my very self, why it would only be me still, not her. I am old, and what does it matter? But my lily, my darling! Mr. Welby, you are very kind, but you do not take the circumstances into consideration;—you do not realise to the full extent what the consequences would be.’
- 30. ‘I don’t knowwhat you mean by the full extent,’ said Mr. Welby; ‘but this I see as clear as daylight, that some time or other the child will probably have her bread to earn. I say probably. She may marry, of course, but the papers tell us people have given up marrying now-a-days. You can’t live for ever, ma’am; and still more certainly you can’t work for ever. And the child has actually something in her fingers by which she could earn money, and provide for herself with the greatest ease. Besides, a musician is not like a singer, or a dancer, or anything of that sort. She comes on and sits down before her piano, and never pays any attention to her audience. She need not even look at them unless she likes. She has only a little curtsey to make, and so is off again. It is positively nothing. She may marry, of course, but that would be no protection against poverty. And what’s the alternative? A lingering, idle sort of life at home; saving scraps, and making her own gowns and bonnets; or, perhaps, giving music-lessons to tiresome children whom she would hate. You should not, my dear Mrs. Severn, do such injustice to your child.’ ‘Indeed, I am the last person to do her injustice,’ said the padrona, half angered, half saddened, with tears in her eyes. It was a very trenchant style of argument. ‘If I were to die, or if I were to fail in my work!’ Mrs. Severn said to herself, with one of those awful throbs of dread which come upon a woman who is the sole protector and bread-winner of her children. Such a thought was not unfamiliar to her mind. It came sometimes at chance hours, stealing upon her suddenly like an evil spirit, and wringing her heart. It set her now, for the hundredth time, to count up the little scraps of resource they would have in such a terrible contingency, the friends who would or might be kind to them. ‘If I might but live till Edie is twenty!’ was the silent prayer that followed. It did not seem possible that so long as she did live she would be unable to work. This frenzy of dread was but momentary. Had it lasted, so sharp and poignant was it, the life which was so important might have been put in jeopardy; but fortunately Mrs. Severn’s mind was as elastic as mind could be, and rose again like a flower after the heavy foot had pressed it down. Yet, Alice,—could she be doing injustice to Alice? These arguments had without doubt made a certain impression upon her. Let but this summer be over, she said to herself. It would be time enough certainly when the child was seventeen,—one more year of sweet childhood and leisure, and undisturbed girlish peace. And then the grateful thought came back upon the mother of Mr. Rich’s commission which she was
- 31. working at, andher year’s work which was secure. Could there be comfort greater than that thought? And the morrow would care for the things of itself. While such discussions went on,—for they were frequent,—Alice moved about the house, a soft, domestic spirit, with light steps and a face like a flower. Every day it became more like a flower. The sweetness expanded, the husks of the lovely blossom opened, the woman came gliding noiselessly, so that nobody around perceived it, out of the silken bud of the girl. She was clever at her needle, as her mother had boasted, and made and mended with the homely natural satisfaction of a worker who is conscious of working well; and she was housekeeper, and managed the accounts, and ordered the dinners, proud of her importance and the duties of her office; and she saw the children put to bed, and heard them say their prayers. The homeliest, most limited life,—and yet what could the world give that was better? Not Nelly Rich’s leisure, and gaiety, and luxury; not Mary Westbury’s tedious comforts and occupations. Alice for her part had everything,—and the piano, and the talk of nights added to all. And yet her mind was not undisturbed, as her mother fondly thought. A little secret, no bigger than a pin’s point, had sprung into being in the virgin heart;—not worth calling a secret,—not a thing at all, in short,—only a murmur of soft, musing recollections,—dreams that were not half tangible enough to be called hopes. As, for instance, what was it he meant when their eyes met that afternoon as she played to him? how was it that he remembered so well every time he had seen her,—even her dress?—questions which she asked and then retreated from, and eluded, and played with, and returned to them again. And would he go to India? Would he come back to Fitzroy Square? So misty was the sphere in which all this passed that the one question seemed to Alice as important as the other. What if he might come again some afternoon, flushing all the fading sky with new tints? What if he should go away and never be heard of more? All this was in the child’s mind when her mother resolved that this summer at least Alice should be left in undisturbed peace. The old story repeated itself, as everything does in this world,—the everlasting tale of individual identity, of isolation and separation of nature between those who are dearest and nearest to each other. The mother would have given her life cheerfully for her child, but could no more see into that child’s soul than if she had been entirely indifferent to her. And Alice, the most loving and dutiful of children, went
- 32. sweetly on herway, shaping out her own individual life, and never suspecting in that any treason to her earliest loves, or any possible break in her existence. It all turned on the point whether a young Guardsman, who, —with all kindness towards Frank Renton be it said,—was not equal to either Alice or her mother, should call, or should not call, next time he might be in town. Certainly a very trifling matter, and almost concluded against Alice beforehand, as may have been perceived. I cannot take it upon me to say if he had never come that Alice would have broken her heart. Her heart was too young, too fresh, too visionary, to be tragically moved. She could have gone on looking for him, wondering if he would come, quite as capable of expecting that he would suddenly appear out of the depths of India as that he would come from Royalborough. She had so much time to spare yet before beginning life for herself that the fanciful delight of wondering what he meant by a look or a word, was actually more sweet to her than anything tangible could have been; but yet if he had never come again, a pathetic chord would have sounded among the fresh harmonies of her being,—perhaps a deeper note than any which had yet been awakened in her, at least a sadder one. She would have looked for him and grown weary, and a certain languor and melancholy would have come into her life. Already she had more pleasure in thinking than she had ever been known to have,—or at least she called it thinking,—and would sit silent for hours wrapped in soft dreams, forgetting to talk, to the great disgust of little Edith, and wonder of Miss Hadley, who was the sharpest observer in the household, and guessed what it all meant. But still Alice could have no reason to complain had Frank Renton never more made his appearance in the Square. She would never have dreamt of complaining, poor child; she would have sighed, and a ray of light would have gone out of her life, and that would have been all;—and she had so many rays of light that there might well be one to spare! It was not thus, however, that things turned out. Not much more than a week had elapsed when Frank again made his appearance in the Square. He had not said much to himself about it. He pretended to himself, indeed, that it was a sudden thought, as he had some time to spare. ‘One might as well go and bid them good-bye,’ he said aloud, the better to persuade himself that it was purely accidental. He had seen Montague, and had all but concluded with him about the exchange, though he had still been quite doubtful on the subject when he came up to town. Yet the sight of the other
- 33. side, and thereality given to the matter by the actual discussion of it as a thing to be done, had an effect upon him which nothing else had yet had. It was made at once into a matter of fact by the first half-dozen words he exchanged with Montague of the 200th. And now it was all but settled, whatever other conclusions might follow. The suddenness with which this very serious piece of business had been concluded, or all but concluded, had filled Frank with a certain excitement. He did not know how he should announce it at home,—how he should tell it to his friends. But he had done it. No doubt his mother would weep, and other eyes would look on him reproachfully. Not that any eyes had a right,—an absolute right,—to reproach him; but still——! Frank’s mind had been very much agitated and beaten about for some days past. That interview with Nelly had been hard upon him. He had not said all, nor nearly all, that he had been expected to say; but still he had said something which had drawn the indefinite bond between them a little closer. He would owe to her, he felt, after what had passed, some sort of embarrassing explanation of the reasons which had induced him all at once to make up his mind and choose India and work, instead of what was vaguely called his good prospects at home. These good prospects he knew, and everybody knew, herself included, were,—Nelly and her fifty thousand pounds; and it would be as much as saying, ‘I have given up all thoughts of you,’ when he told her of his sudden determination. He had said nothing about going to India in that last interview. On the contrary, he had been rather eloquent on the subject of staying at home. And now he would have to explain to her that India and freedom had more charms for him than she had, even when backed by all her advantages. It was not a pleasant intimation to make; neither was the thought pleasant of telling his mother, who would have still more occasion to reproach him. ‘Go to India, when you might have fifty thousand for the asking, and heaven knows how much more!’ Mrs. Renton would say; and would feel herself deeply aggrieved by her son’s backsliding. He had been beguiled into all this by the talk of Montague of the 200th, and his own errant, foolish inclinations. It had seemed to him like an escape from himself, and he had taken advantage of the chance;—but it was terrible to contemplate the immediate results. And he had an hour or two to spare, and a little music had always so good an effect upon him! Besides, it would not be civil to go away without taking farewell of Laurie’s friends. The 200th were to go in three months. There would be little further time for anything but the
- 34. business of hisoutfit. Frank turned his steps towards the Square with the resolution, declared,—to himself,—that this should be the last time. He would see them once more, as civility required, and then all would be over. He would put all such nonsense from his mind, the folly of thinking of either;—for was it not folly to entertain such an idea at his age?—and go away and enjoy his freedom. He would be twenty-one before the regiment set sail, which was no doubt a serious age, and the beginning of mature manhood; but still few men without money married so early. And Frank did not want a wife, though he had thus got himself into such difficulties with two girls at once. The clear course was evidently to set himself free from such premature entanglements, and take refuge in distance and novelty, and rejoice in his escape. By what strange chance it was that the padrona should have gone out that special afternoon, taking Miss Hadley with her, is what I never could explain. Things do occur so sometimes in this curious world, where everything happens that ought not to happen. Alice was alone, all by herself in that shadowy, silent drawing-room. It was a thing which did not occur thrice in a year. And lo! Frank Renton’s visit to say good-bye must happen on one of these rare occasions! Alice was not playing when he was ushered in. She was sitting at work close to the piano, though that too was not usual to her. She had gone in with the intention of practising, but the charm of thinking had been too strong for her. Even her work had fallen on her knee in the soft, profound stillness and loneliness which of late had come to be so sweet to her. She was thinking of him, asking herself once more those sweet, vague, fanciful questions. It was so pleasant, in her new mood, to feel herself all alone, free to think as she pleased, and lose herself in dreams for a whole, long, enchanted afternoon. And just at that moment, as good or evil fortune decided, Frank Renton was shown into the room. He himself was struck dumb by the chance, as well as Alice. She looked up at him, poor child, with absolute consternation. ‘Oh, I am so sorry mamma is out!’ she said; and notwithstanding the stir and flutter of her heart at the sight of him, she was quite in earnest when she said so. Mamma being out, however, made all the difference between conscious safety and calm and the uneasy dread which she could not explain. What was she afraid of? Alice could not answer the question. Not of him, certainly, of whom she believed every good under heaven. Of herself, then? But she only repeated
- 35. her little outcryof regret, and could give no reason for her shy shrinking and fears. ‘Is she?’ said Frank; ‘but I must not go away, must I?—though your tone seems somehow to imply it. Let me stay and wait for her. I have come to say good-bye.’ ‘Good-bye?’ said Alice, faltering. The child grew cold all over in a moment, as if a chill had blown upon her. ‘Are you really, really going to India, after all?’ ‘After all? after what?’ said Frank, turning upon her so quickly that she had no time to think. ‘Oh, I meant after——. I thought——. People said——. But, no, indeed; I am sure I never believed it, Mr. Renton; it is such stupid talk; only I was a little surprised,’ said Alice, recovering herself. ‘I mean, are you really going to India,—after all?’ Frank laughed. He was at no loss now as he had been with Nelly Rich. ‘I see that is what you mean,’ he said, looking at her with softened, shining eyes, and that delicious indulgence for her youth and simplicity which made him feel himself twice a man; ‘and you may say after all. There are some things I shall be glad to escape from, and there are other things,’ said Frank, rising and going close to her, ‘there are other things——’ He did not mean it,—certainly he did not mean it,—any more than he had meant going to India, when he came up that morning to town to talk the matter over in a vague, general way; but, somehow, as he stood in front of her, leaning over the high-backed chair on which she had placed her work, gazing into the sweet face lifted to him, which changed colour every moment, and was as full of light and shade as any summer sky, a sudden sense of necessity came over him. Leave her?—Was there anybody in the world but the two of them looking thus at each other? Did anything else matter in comparison? ‘What is the use of making any pretences?’ cried Frank; ‘if you will but come with me, Alice, going to India will be like going to heaven!’ She sat and gazed at him with consternation and wonder and dismay; growing pale to the very lips; straining her wistful eyes to make out what he meant. Was he mad? What was he thinking of? ‘Go with, you?’ she faltered, under her breath, incapable of any expression but that of amaze. Her wondering eye sank under his look, and her heart began to beat, and her
- 36. brow to throb.The suggestion shook her whole being, though she had not quite fathomed what it meant. And then the crimson colour rose like a sudden flame, and flew over all her face. The change, the trouble, the surprise, were like so many variations in the sky, and they combined to take from the young lover what little wits he had left. ‘Would it be so dreadful?’ he said, bending down over her. ‘Alice, just you and I. What would it matter where we were so long as we were together? I know it would matter nothing to me. I would take such care of you. I should be as happy as the day was long. I want nothing but to have you by me, to look at you, and listen to you. I do not care if there were not another creature in the world’, cried the youth; ‘just you and I!’ ‘Oh, don’t speak so!’ cried Alice, trembling in her agitation and astonishment. ‘Don’t, oh, don’t! You must not! How could I ever, ever leave mamma?’ ‘Then it is not me you object to?’ cried the lover, in triumph, taking her hands, taking herself to him in a tender delirium. This was how it came about. With no more preparation on either side, with everything against it,—friends, prudence, fortune, Nelly,—every influence you could conceive. And yet they did it without any intention of doing it,—on the mere argument of being left for half-an-hour alone together. True, it took more than half-an-hour to calm down the bewilderment of the girl’s mind, thus launched suddenly at a stroke into the wide waters of life. She looked back trembling upon her little haven, the harbour where she had lain so quietly a few minutes before. But we can never go back those few minutes. The thing was done, and nobody in the world could be more surprised at it than the two young, rash, happy creatures themselves, holding each other’s hands, and looking into each other’s faces, and asking themselves,—Could it be true?
- 37. CHAPTER II. A STRUGGLE. Thereare moments in life which are so sweet as to light up whole weeks of gloom; and there are moments so dreadful as to make the unfortunate actors in them tremble at the recollection to the end of their lives. Such a moment in the life of Frank Renton was that in which he suddenly heard the padrona’s knock at her own door. He had been as happy as a young man could be. He had felt himself willing, and over again willing, to give up everything without a regret, for the sake of the love he had won, and which was, he said to himself, of everything in earth and heaven the most sweet. This he had said to himself a hundred times over as he hung over Alice in the first ecstasy of their betrothal. He could not imagine how he ever could have doubted. Going to India would, as he had said, be going to heaven. Where he went, she would be with him. He should have her all to himself, free from any interference. They would be free to go forth together, hand in hand, like Adam and Eve. What was any advantage the world could give in comparison to such blessedness? He was in the full flush of his delight when that awful knock was heard at the door. At the sound of it Alice started too. She clung to him first, and then she shrank from him. ‘Oh, it is mamma!’ she cried, with sudden dismay. Then there was a pause. Frank let go the hand he had been holding. Nature and the world stood still in deference to the extraordinary crisis. He turned his face, which had suddenly grown pale, to the door. And they heard her talking as she came up the stairs, unconcerned, laughing as if nothing had happened! ‘It will be a surprise to Alice,’ she said audibly, pausing in the passage, at the dining-room door. And Alice shuddered as she listened. A surprise! If the padrona could but know what a terrible surprise had been prepared for herself! And then she came in upon them, smiling and blooming, her soft colour heightened by a little fresh breeze that was blowing, bright from the pleasant unusual intercourse with the outside world. ‘I am sorry you did not come with us, Alice,’ she said. ‘It is not so hot as we thought it was. Ah, Mr.
- 38. Renton!’ and sheheld out her hand to him. Upon what tiny issues does life hang. If Alice had not thought it too hot to go out, all this might never have happened. And the mother to speak of it so lightly, thinking of nothing more important than the walk, ignorant what advantage had been taken of her absence! To the two guilty creatures who knew, every word was an additional stab. ‘I came up again to-day about the same business,’ said Frank, faltering. Alice bent trembling over her work, and said nothing. She did not go, as was her wont, with soft, tender hands, to untie the bonnet and take off the shawl, taking pride in her office as ‘mamma’s maid.’ She put on an aspect of double diligence over her work, though her hands trembled so that she could scarcely hold her needle. Even Mrs. Severn’s unsuspicious nature was startled. She turned to Miss Hadley, who had come in behind her, and said, half in dumb-show, with a certain impatience, ‘What does he mean by coming so often?’ ‘No good,’ answered Miss Hadley, solemnly, under her breath; which laconic utterance amused the padrona so much, that her momentary uneasiness flew away. She sat down smiling, turning her kind face upon the trembling pair. ‘Poor Laurie’s brother!’ she said to herself. That was argument enough for tolerating him and showing him all kindness. ‘Alice, how is it you are so busy?’ she said. ‘I think you might order some tea. Though it is not so very hot, it is pleasant to get into the shade. I hope your business has made progress, Mr. Renton,’ she added, politely. As the padrona looked at them it became slowly apparent to her that something was wrong. Alice had not liked the task of entertaining a stranger all by herself; or——! But of course it must be that. It was ill-bred of him, even though he was Laurie’s brother, to insist on coming in when there was nobody but the child to receive him. Mrs. Severn began to feel uncharitably towards the young man. Alice flushed one moment, and the next was quite pale. She was reluctant to raise her eyes, and neglected all her usual petits soins. When she had to get up to obey her mother, it was with a shy avoidance of her look, which went to the padrona’s heart. What could be the matter? Was she ill? Had he been rude to her? But that was impossible. ‘Is there anything wrong, my darling?’ she said, half rising from her seat. ‘Oh, no, mamma!’ said Alice, breathlessly, in a fainting voice.
- 39. The padrona gaveMiss Hadley a look which meant,—Go and see what is the matter; and then with a very pre-occupied mind turned towards Frank to play politeness and do her social duties. ‘I hope your business has made progress,’ she repeated, vaguely; and then it became apparent that he was agitated too. ‘Yes,’ he said; and then he came forward to her quite pale and with an air of mingled supplication and alarm which filled her with the profoundest bewilderment. ‘Oh, Mrs. Severn, forgive us!’ he cried. He would have gone down on his knees had he thought that would have been effectual; but he did not dare to go down on his knees. He stood before her like a culprit about to be sentenced; and she looked at him with eyes in which alarm and suspicion began to glow. There was something wrong; but even now the mother to whom her child was indeed a child did not guess what it was. ‘Us!’ she said; and somehow a thought of Laurie struck into the maze of her thoughts. He could not have done anything, poor fellow, in his exile, to call for forgiveness in this passionate way. ‘I cannot tell what you mean,’ she cried. ‘What have I to forgive? And who are the sinners?’ and she tried to laugh, though it was difficult enough. ‘Mrs. Severn,’ he said, ‘I would not, believe me, have taken advantage of your absence, not willingly. She is so young. I know I ought to have spoken to you first. I did not mean it when I came——’ ‘She?’ cried the padrona, with a little cry. Not yet did she see what it was; but instinct told her what kind of a trenchant blow was coming, and all the blood seemed to rush back upon her heart. ‘Yes,’ said Frank, rising into the calm of passion, ‘I found her all by herself. And I loved her so! From that first moment I saw her,—when you called her, and she came and stood there,’ he cried, pointing vaguely at the door; ‘and I had come to tell you I was going away. And she was sorry. It all came upon us in a moment. How could I help telling her? I loved her so! Forgive me for Alice’s sake.’ The padrona sat gazing at him for some moments with dilated eyes; then suddenly she hid her face in her hands, and uttered a low, moaning cry as of a creature in pain. All at once it had come upon her what it meant. Frank standing there, full of anxiety, yet full of confidence, was bewildered, not knowing what this meant in reference to himself. But the truth was that Mrs. Severn was not thinking of him, had no room in her mind for him at
- 40. that terrible moment.It was her child she was thinking of,—Alice, who was here half an hour ago, and now was not here, and could never again be, for ever. It all burst upon her in an instant, not anything remediable, as a thing might be which was independent of the child’s own will, but voluntary, her own doing, her choice! Something sung and buzzed in her ears; her eyes felt hot and scorched up; sharp pulsations of pain came into her temples. ‘My child!—my baby!—my first-born!’ she said to herself. It was as if the earth had shaken beneath her feet, and the house had crumbled down about her. Her whole fabric of happiness seemed to shrink up; and yet it was not so much—not so much that she asked; not anything for herself, not the ease, the comfort, the leisure, the pleasures, so many had. Was she not content, more than content to work late and early, to spare herself in nothing, to labour with both hands, as it were, never grudging? Only her children, that was all she asked to have! And here was the first of her children, the sweetest of all, her excellency and the beginning of her strength, her companion, and tender consoler, and sweet helper—gone! She gave a cry, a half-smothered moan, such as could not be put into words. And all this time Frank stood before her, pale, somewhat desperate, but courageous, knowing that however the mother might be against him, the daughter was for him,— and trusting in his fate. When the padrona at last withdrew her hands from her face it struck her as with a sense of offence that he should still be standing there. Why did he, a stranger, stand and gaze at her misery? What right had he? And then she remembered that it was this boy whom her child had chosen out of the world, to give up her home for him. In her heart, at that moment, the padrona hated Frank. She raised her head, and even he, though he had no love in his eyes to enlighten him respecting the changes in her face, saw that the lines were drawn and haggard, the colour gone, and that a look of age and suffering had fallen upon her. But she commanded herself. She spoke after a minute with an effort. ‘Mr. Renton, this is a very serious matter you tell me.’ she said; ‘my daughter is a child,’ and then she had to stop and take breath, and moisten her dry lips. ‘She is too young,—to judge what is best,—for her life. And so are you,’ she added, looking at him with a certain pity for the boy who was so young too, and Laurie’s brother to boot; ‘you are both too young to know what you are doing. You should not have disturbed my Alice!’ she cried, suddenly, unable to keep in the
- 41. reproach. ‘Such thoughtswould never have come into my darling’s mind. You had no right to disturb my child!’ She got up as she spoke in a blaze of momentary excitement,—anger, grief’s twin brother, rising sudden into the place of grief. She made a step or two away from him, and began to collect Alice’s work and fold it up with her trembling hands, turning her back upon him, as if this sudden piece of business she had found was the most important matter in the world. Then she turned round, raising her hand, with an outburst of natural eloquence. ‘She was only a child,’ she cried; ‘as much a child as when she sat on my lap. She had not a thought that was not open to me. I have worked for her almost all her life, watched over her, nursed her, smiled for her when my heart was breaking,—and all in a moment, for a young man’s vanity, my child is to be mine no longer. Why did you not come to me fairly, like an honest enemy, and warn me what you meant to do?’ As she spoke, standing before him with her arm lifted in unconscious action, almost towering over him in the greatness of her suffering and indignation, Frank stood lost in astonishment. Mothers, so far as he knew, were glad to get their daughters off their hands. Such was the tradition in all regions he had ever frequented. He had expected difficulties, no doubt, but not of this kind. It was with a certain consternation that he gazed at her, asking himself what it meant. It was all real, there could be no doubt of that. But yet,—he was in Fitzroy Square. It was not a duke’s daughter he had ventured on engaging to himself, but a humble artist’s, who everybody would have thought would have been glad enough to have her child provided for. This Frank knew, or, at least, he believed he knew, was the light in which the matter would have been regarded by sensible people. And he, though Belgravia no doubt might have scorned him, was no such contemptible match for the daughter of the painter. He stood surprised and discomfited, not knowing how to reply to a woman who addressed him so strangely. Perhaps it would be best to let her have it all her own way, and exhaust her indignation without contradicting or opposing her; but then the passion in her face moved the young man. ‘I never thought of coming as an enemy,’ he said, with some heat. ‘I have loved her ever since I saw her. I am not to blame for that.’ How could he be to blame? He had done naught in hate, but all in honour. And thus the mother and the lover stood confronting each other, rivals; but in a conflict which for one of them was without hope.
- 42. Welcome to ourwebsite – the perfect destination for book lovers and knowledge seekers. We believe that every book holds a new world, offering opportunities for learning, discovery, and personal growth. That’s why we are dedicated to bringing you a diverse collection of books, ranging from classic literature and specialized publications to self-development guides and children's books. More than just a book-buying platform, we strive to be a bridge connecting you with timeless cultural and intellectual values. With an elegant, user-friendly interface and a smart search system, you can quickly find the books that best suit your interests. Additionally, our special promotions and home delivery services help you save time and fully enjoy the joy of reading. Join us on a journey of knowledge exploration, passion nurturing, and personal growth every day! testbankdeal.com