Silvio Schindler in India
Executive Summary In 1997 Swiss-based elevator and escalator manufacturer Schindler Holding, Ltd. decided to expand its operations to India. As the technology leader in elevators, Schindler was confident that the Indian market provided significant opportunities for growth. The venture in India would be different from Schindler 's other subsidiaries in several ways. Rather than focusing on Schindler 's success with custom equipment, the India operations would focus on standardized products. In addition, Schindler planned to outsource all of the manufacturing of components to local Indian suppliers with a few critical components being supplied by its European subsidiaries. Schindler chose Silvio Napoli, a Harvard-educated MBA, as the head of the India expansion project. Napoli was involved in the planning of the Indian subsidiary and had worked closely with key Schindler executives on other strategic initiatives.
Napoli faced many obstacles while trying to implement the new strategies in this new subsidiary. Not only did Napoli have the formidable task of selecting a management team and beginning operations, he also had to deal with resistance from other Schindler subsidiaries whose cooperation was crucial to the success of the chosen strategy. The difficulties faced by Schindler India highlight many change management issues. Napoli faced considerable resistance to change from the European subsidiaries and his Indian management team. This resistance produced an organization that was incongruent in its goals and actions. Additionally, the importance of appropriate strategy selection became evident in this case. Although the standardization approach had been successful in Europe, the logistical, economic, and market difficulties created by this strategy proved to be unsuccessful in India.
Introduction The Silvio Napoli at Schindler India case illustrates the planning and early stages of implementation of a Swiss-based
Napoli faced many obstacles while trying to implement the new strategies in this new subsidiary. Not only did Napoli have the formidable task of selecting a management team and beginning operations, he also had to deal with resistance from other Schindler subsidiaries whose cooperation was crucial to the success of the chosen strategy. The difficulties faced by Schindler India highlight many change management issues. Napoli faced considerable resistance to change from the European subsidiaries and his Indian management team. This resistance produced an organization that was incongruent in its goals and actions. Additionally, the importance of appropriate strategy selection became evident in this case. Although the standardization approach had been successful in Europe, the logistical, economic, and market difficulties created by this strategy proved to be unsuccessful in India.
Introduction The Silvio Napoli at Schindler India case illustrates the planning and early stages of implementation of a Swiss-based
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