Once in a while in the career of an international executive managing multinational operations in a number of different countries with different cultures, laws, and practices, you can go into a new situation in a new country and face a strong organized challenge from certain groups of employees. Maybe it tends to happen after a termination or some other crisis, or when top expatriate management changes.

I would say that depending on how we managed this particular situation, it could have been either very bad and debilitating to the firm, or with the proper advice and management, the problem can be overcome to make the company even stronger and improve solidarity.

It should be a great comfort to any corporate owner or professional management, particularly to the multinational community here in Japan, to know that in his particular area of expertise, a consultant as experienced and competent as Mr. Nevins exists. Not at all wishy-washy, he knows what has to be done and takes a clear and firm position. He has done it before, and the confidence and clarity of strategy as well as means of implementation are precisely the input which the new multinational manager needs when coming into a new country with new practices and different corporate environments.

Mr. Nevins has a way of reducing all the nebulous information and contradictory advice you receive into a common sense and clear position, allowing the expatriate manager to confidently make the most of his intuitions and innate leadership to put out the fires, seize and maintain control, and to get on with the job of managing and building the business.

I recommend you give Mr. Nevins a call if you are facing a challenge from a handful of radical troublemakers, unsavory staff attitudes, unreasonable demands in terms of benefits, work conditions, and work rules; or the other kinds of unpleasantness one would normally associate with the wrong kind of collective action, sometimes characteristic of certain unionized environments.

Roland M. Bischoff
President
Kuehne & Nagel
March, 1989