6 At W.L. Gore (that makes the high-performance Gore-Tex fabrics) few in the company have any formal job titles or job descriptions. There are no managers, only leaders and associates, people are paid ‘according to their contribution’ and staff help to determine each other’s pay. Its skilled staff

(called ‘associates’) develop, manufacture and sell a range of innovative products. Associates are hired for general work areas rather than specific jobs, and with the guidance of their ‘sponsors’ (not bosses)

and as they develop experience, they commit to projects that match their skills. Teams organise around opportunities as they arise, with associates committing to the projects that they have chosen to work on, rather than having tasks delegated to them. Project teams are small, focused, multidisciplined, and foster strong relationships between team members. Personal initiative is encouraged, as is ‘hands-on’ innovation. There are no traditional organisational charts, no chains of command, no predetermined channels of communication. Instead, team members communicate directly with each other and are accountable to the other members of their team. Groups are led by whoever is the most appropriate person at each stage of a project. Leaders are not appointed by senior management;

they ‘emerge’ naturally by demonstrating special knowledge, skill or experience that advances a business objective. Everyone’s performance is assessed using a peer-level rating system. The explicit aim of the company’s culture is to ‘combine freedom with cooperation and autonomy with synergy’.

(a) How is W.L. Gore different from most international corporations?

(b) Why is Gore’s way of working particularly appropriate for how it competes in its markets?