Corning Case Study: Corning

Question E Strategic Options I would make as CEO Excerpts from Case
i. Limit the number of attendees at GSC meetings. Corning should only permit key decision makers, employees who have had a long history with the company, and those with expertise on the business model being presented, to attend. Implementing this would help facilitate open discussion at the meetings as less people would be involved. While a large number of people attend GSC meetings, only a few engage in making the decisions. This is an issue because as attendance at the meetings increases, it presents the possibility that ‘honest and frank dialogue’ may not be sustainable. ii. Screen the proposals that are scheduled to be presented at the meetings. By reviewing them, the
This continual quality improvement approach can be achieved by setting bold goals and expectations, using cross-functional teams to leverage outcomes, and expanding the term ‘quality’ to ‘performance excellence’, indicating the comprehensive inclusion of all business practices. Once the essential strategy is determined, it will become evident there are resources already in place, and Corning’s quality leader, would have to build on that expertise across the organization to provide a collection of performance excellence tools. Deploying the model demanded a great deal of effort and resources, but it was imperative in maintaining Corning’s innovation culture. Commitment to quality and the addition of rigor to Corning’s hallmark innovation process allows the company to better manage the life cycles of its inventions and improve profitability and sustainability. The performance excellence program provides a competitive advantage so that Corning stays as a low-cost producer across its product lines on a global
This has resulted in an above average rate of innovations that really were brought to market. The main point that can be inferred from the Case Study is that Corning has a high probability of having a competitive advantage in the innovation process, which translates in good R&D results. At the same time, it seems evident that Corning is able to create markets for its products, which usually lie in specialized niche market, difficult to be assaulted by low-cost manufacturers. Corning’s history also shows that the company has been nimble in leaving commoditized markets, pursuing premium opportunities created by its R&D department. The analysis tells us that Corning has a high probability of keeping creating innovations that translate into products and growth, there is no evidence that this is degrading and therefore in terms of strategy, strictly speaking, it is believed Corning is a healthy company. The financial metric of 2003-2007 has proven that despite being in the state of near bankruptcy in the aftermath of the telecommunications bubble burst, Corning still had a strong ability to recover from debt, generate higher profits, grow and succeed