The human dimension of change at RES Internacional

Combining an American food ingredients brokerage firm whose market was shrinking with a disorganized maquiladora might seem like a recipe for disaster. And in the absence of a unifying vision, it was. But when the head of the company stepped into his workers' shoes, he helped tear down the cultural barriers that were masking the root causes of his organization's ills. Now, with a focus on systems thinking, workers have a renewed sense of purpose and they are being trained in the tools to not only identify the source of long-standing problems but also to devise simple but effective solutions. The results include enhanced communications at all levels and a healthy boost in the bottom line. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.