3M's strategy system—planning in an innovative corporation

Abstract

3M is one of america's best‐run, most innovative, and diverse companies. And this diversity has been increasing exponentially for the past sixty years. Two decades after its founding, 3M's business was relatively simple. In the early 1920s, the corporation manufactured a line of sandpapers, which it sold to several key industries, among them furniture and automotive. Its competitors offered similar products and sold to the same customers. In that era, 3M's strategy was straightforward: “We will make a quality product at a fair price—and sell it aggressively.”

Citation

Tita, M.A. and Allio, R.J. (1984), "3M's strategy system—planning in an innovative corporation", Planning Review, Vol. 12 No. 5, pp. 10-15. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb054071