the.world.is.flat-第47部分

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company？　To　which　country　will　Lenovo　feel　most　attached？　Or　will　it　just　see　itself　
sort　of　floating　above　a　flat　earth？　

This　question　was　anticipated　in　the　press　release　announcing　the　new　company：　〃Where　
will　Lenovo　be　headquartered？〃　it　asked。　
Answer：　〃As　a　global　business；　the　new　Lenovo　will　be　geographically　dispersed；　with　
people　and　physical　assets　located　worldwide。〃　
Sort　that　out。　
The　cold；　hard　truth　is　that　management；　shareholders；　and　investors　are　largely　
indifferent　to　where　their　profits　come　from　or　even　where　the　employment　is　created。　
But　they　do　want　sustainable　companies。　Politicians；　though；　are　compelled　to　
stimulate　the　creation　of　jobs　in　a　certain　place。　And　residents…whether　they　are　
Americans；　Europeans；　or　Indians…want　to　know　that　the　good　jobs　are　going　to　stay　
close　to　home。　
The　CEO　of　a　major　European　multinational　remarked　to　me；　〃We　are　a　global　research　
company　now。〃　That's　great　news　for　his　shareholders　and　investors。　He　is　accessing　
the　best　brains　on　the　planet；　wherever　they　are；　and　almost　certainly　saving　money　
by　not　doing　all　the　research　in　his　backyard。　〃But　ultimately；〃　he　confided　to　me；　
〃this　is　going　to　have　implications　down　the　road　on　jobs　in　my　own　country…maybe　
not　this　year　but　in　five　or　fifteen　years。〃　As　a　CEO　and　European　Union　citizen；　
〃you　might　have　a　dialogue　with　your　government　about　how　we　can　retain　capabilities　
in　＇our　own　country＇…but　day　by　day　you　have　to　make　decisions　with　the　shareholders　
in　mind。〃　
Translation：　If　I　can　buy　five　brilliant　researchers　in　China　and/or　India　for　the　


price　of　one　in　Europe　or　America；　I　will　buy　the　five；　and　if；　in　the　long　run；　that　
means　my　own　society　loses　part　of　its　skills　base；　so　be　it。　The　only　way　to　converge　
the　interests　of　the　two…the　company　and　its　country　of　origin…is　to　have　a　really　
smart　population　that　can　not　only　claim　its　slice　of　the　bigger　global　pie　but　invent　
its　own　new　slices　as　well。　〃We　have　grown　addicted　to　our　high　salaries；　and　now　
we　are　really　going　to　have　to　earn　them；〃　the　CEO　said。　
But　even　identifying　a　company's　country　of　origin　today　is　getting　harder　and　harder。　
Sir　John　Rose；　the　chief　executive　of　Rolls…Royce；　told　me　once；　〃We　have　a　big　
business　in　Germany。　We　are　the　biggest　high…tech　employer　in　the　state　of　Brandenburg。　
I　was　recently　at　a　dinner　with　Chancellor　＇Gerhard＇　Schroeder。　And　he　said　to　me；　
'You　are　a　
212　
German　company；　why　don't　you　come　along　with　me　on　my　next　visit　to　Russia'…to　try　
to　drum　up　business　there　for　German　companies。〃　The　German　chancellor；　said　Rose；　
〃was　recognizing　that　although　my　headquarters　were　in　London；　my　business　was　
involved　in　creating　value　in　Germany；　and　that　could　be　constructive　in　his　
relationship　with　Russia。〃　
Here　you　have　the　quintessential　British　company；　Rolls…Royce；　which；　though　still　
headquartered　in　England；　now　operates　through　a　horizontal　global　supply　chain；　and　
its　CEO；　a　British　citizen　knighted　by　the　queen；　is　being　courted　by　the　chancellor　
of　Germany　to　help　him　drum　up　business　in　Russia；　because　one　link　in　the　Rolls…Royce　
supply　chain　happens　to　run　through　Brandenburg。　
Sort　that　out。　
From　Command　and　Control　to　Collaborate　and　Connect　
Before　Colin　Powell　stepped　down　as　secretary　of　state；　I　went　in　for　an　interview；　
which　was　also　attended　by　two　of　his　press　advisers；　in　his　seventh…floor　State　
Department　suite。　I　could　not　resist　asking　him　about　where　he　was　when　he　realized　
the　world　had　gone　flat。　He　answered　with　one　word：　〃Google。〃　Powell　said　that　when　
he　took　over　as　secretary　of　state　in　2001；　and　he　needed　some　bit　of　information…say；　
the　text　of　a　UN　resolution　…he　would　call　an　aide　and　have　to　wait　for　minutes　or　
even　hours　for　someone　to　dig　it　up　for　him。　
〃Now　I　just　type　into　Google　'UNSC　Resolution　242'　and　up　comes　the　text；〃　he　said。　
Powell　explained　that　with　each　passing　year；　he　found　himself　doing　more　and　more　
of　his　own　research；　at　which　point　one　of　his　press　advisers　remarked；　〃Yes；　now　
he　no　longer　comes　asking　for　information。　He　already　has　the　information。　He　comes　
asking　for　action。〃　
Powell；　a　former　member　of　the　AOL　board；　also　regularly　used　e…mail　to　contact　other　
foreign　ministers　and；　according　to　one　of　his　aides；　kept　
213　
up　a　constant　instant…messaging　relationship　with　Britain's　foreign　secretary；　Jack　
Straw；　at　summit　meetings；　as　if　they　were　a　couple　of　college　students。　Thanks　to　
the　cell　phone　and　wireless　technology；　said　Powell；　no　foreign　minister　can　run　and　
hide　from　him。　He　said　he　had　been　looking　for　Russia's　foreign　minister　the　previous　
week。　First　he　tracked　him　down　on　his　cell　phone　in　Moscow；　then　on　his　cell　phone　


in　Iceland；　and　then　on　his　cell　phone　in　Vientiane；　Laos。　〃We　have　everyone's　cell　
phone　number；〃　said　Powell　of　his　fellow　foreign　ministers。　
The　point　I　take　away　from　all　this　is　that　when　the　world　goes　flat；　hierarchies　
are　not　being　leveled　just　by　little　people　being　able　to　act　big。　They　are　also　being　
leveled　by　big　people　being　able　to　act　really　small　…　in　the　sense　that　they　are　
enabled　to　do　many　more　things　on　their　own。　It　really　hit　me　when　Powell's　junior　
media　adviser；　a　young　woman；　walked　me　down　from　his　office　and　remarked　along　the　
way　that　because　of　e…mail；　Powell　could　get　hold　of　her　and　her　boss　at　any　hour；　
via　their　BlackBerrys…and　did。　
〃I　can't　get　away　from　the　guy；''　she　said　jokingly　of　his　constant　e…mail　instructions。　
But　in　the　next　breath　she　added　that　on　the　previous　weekend；　she　was　shopping　at　
the　mall　with　some　friends　when　she　got　an　instant　message　from　Powell　asking　her　
to　do　some　public　affairs　task。　〃My　friends　were　all　impressed；〃　she　said。　〃Little　
me；　and　I'm　talking　to　the　secretary　of　state！〃　
This　is　what　happens　when　you　move　from　a　vertical　（command　and　control）　world　to　
a　much　more　horizontal　（connect　and　collaborate）　flat　world。　Your　boss　can　do　his　
job　and　your　job。　He　can　be　secretary　of　state　and　his　own　secretary。　He　can　give　
you　instructions　day　or　night。　So　you　are　never　out。　You　are　always　in。　Therefore；　
you　are　always　on。　Bosses；　if　they　are　inclined；　can　collaborate　more　directly　with　
more　of　their　staff　than　ever　before…no　matter　who　they　are　or　where　they　are　in　the　
hierarchy。　But　staffers　will　also　have　to　work　much　harder　to　be　better　informed　than　
their　bosses。　There　are　a　lot　more　conversations　between　bosses　and　staffers　today　
that　start　like　this：　〃I　know　that　already！　I　Googled　it　myself。　Now　what　do　I　do　
about　it？〃　
Sort　that　out。　

Multiple　Identity　Disorder　
It　is　not　only　communities　and　companies　that　have　multiple　identities　that　will　need　
sorting　out　in　a　flat　world。　So　too　will　individuals。　In　a　flat　world；　the　tensions　
among　our　identities　as　consumers；　employees；　citizens；　taxpayers；　and　shareholders　
are　going　to　come　into　sharper　and　sharper　conflict。　
〃In　the　nineteenth　century；〃　said　business　consultant　Michael　Hammer；　〃the　great　
conflict　was　between　labor　and　capital。　Now　it　is　between　customer　and　worker；　and　
the　company　is　the　guy　in　the　middle。　The　consumer　turns　to　the　company　and　says；　
'Give　me　more　for　less。'　And　then　companies　turn　to　employees　and　say；　'If　we　don't　
give　them　more　for　less；　we　are　in　trouble。　I　can't　guarantee　you　a　job　and　a　union　
steward　can't　guarantee　you　a　job；　only　a　customer　can。'〃　
The　New　York　Times　reported　（November　1；　2004）　that　Wal…Mart　spent　about　1。3　billion　
of　its　256　billion　in　revenue　in　2003　on　employee　health　care；　to　insure　about　537；000　
people；　or　about　45　percent　of　its　workforce。　Wal…Mart's　biggest　competitor；　though；　
Costco　Wholesale；　insured　96　percent　of　its　eligible　full…time　or　part…time　employees。　
Costco　employees　become　eligible　for　health　insurance　after　three　months　working　
full…time　or　six　months　working　part…time。　At　Wal…Mart；　most　full…time　employees　have　
to　wait　six　months　to　become　eligible；　while　part…timers　are　not　eligible　for　at　least　


two　years。　According　to　the　Times；　full…time　employees　at　Wal…Mart　make　about　1；200　
per　month；　or　8　per　hour。　Wal…Mart　requires　employees　to　cover　33　percent　of　the　
cost　of　their　benefits；　and　it　plans　to　reduce　that　employee　contribution　to　30　percent。　
Wal…Mart…sponsored　health　plans　have　monthly　premiums　for　family　coverage　ranging　
as　high　as　264　and　out…of…pocket　expenses　as　high　as　13；000　in　some　cases；　and　such　
medical　costs　make　health　coverage　unaffordable　even　for　many　Wal…Mart　employees　who　
are　covered；　the　Times　said。　
But　the　same　article　went　on　to　say　this：　〃If　there　is　any　place　where　Wal…Mart's　
labor　costs　find　support；　it　is　Wall　Street；　where　Costco　has　taken　a　drubbing　from　
analysts　who　say　its　labor　costs　are　too　high。〃　Wai215　
Mart　has　taken　more　fat　and　friction　out　than　Costco；　which　has　kept　more　in；　because　
it　feels　a　different　obligation　to　its　workers。　Costco's　pretax　profit　margin　is　only　

2。7　percent　of　revenue；　less　than　half　Wal…Mart's　margin　of　5。5　percent。　
The　Wal…Mart　shopper　in　all　of　us　wants　the　lowest　price　possible；　with　all　the　
middlemen；　fat；　and　friction　removed。　And　the　Wal…Mart　shareholder　in　us　wants　
Wal…Mart　to　be　relentless　about　removing　the　fat　and　friction　in　its　supply　chain　
and　in　its　employee　benefits　packages；　in　order　to　fatten　the　company's　profits。　But　
the　Wal…Mart　worker　in　us　hates　the　benefits　and　pay　packages　that　Wal…Mart　offers　
its　starting　employees。　And　the　Wal…Mart　citizen　in　us　knows　that　because　Wal…Mart；　
the　biggest　company　in　America；　doesn't　cover　all　its　employees　with　health　care；　
some　of　them　will　just　go　to　the　emergency　ward　of　the　local　hospital　and　the　taxpayers　
will　end　up　picking　up　the　tab。　The　Times　reported　that　a　survey　by　Georgia　officials　
found　that　〃more　than　10；000　children　of　Wal…Mart　employees　were　in　the　state's　health　
program　for　children　at　an　annual　cost　of　nearly　10　million　to　taxpayers。〃　Similarly；　
it　said；　a　〃North　Carolina　hospital　found　that　31　percent　of　1；900　patients　who　
described　themselves　as　Wal…Mart　employees　were　on　Medicaid；　while　an　additional　16　
percent　had　no　in