‘How are the mighty fallen’ – or so we all thought when news erupted about Volkswagen’s emissions scandal, right at the height of their world domination of the auto industry, spearheaded by their ‘Think Blue’ manifesto (and for ‘Blue’, read ‘Green’). I was so impressed by their commitment to excellence across the board that, pre-scandal, I chose VW as a case study for my series of lectures on Leadership, Teambuilding and Managerial Creativity. So, if it had all gone very wrong, where did that leave my lecture?
A couple of years down the line from the breaking news, VW seem to be doing OK. They have obviously paid out billions in penalties, and top executives have been charged, but they are moving ahead on all fronts and are planning to become the world’s number 1 producer of electric cars. The emissions scandal has become yesterday’s news in a world where news, these days, has the power to knock you sideways. Perhaps, then, some of the messages from their manifesto made a lasting impression with the workforce, who remain loyal and determined to pull the company round. In any event, it makes for an interesting case study.
Dig deeper –
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