Submitted by: Submitted by ayushrastogi89
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Category: Business and Industry
Date Submitted: 07/20/2011 10:53 AM
Managing Xerox's Multinational
Development Center
Those who worked with John Clendenin in Xerox's building 214 in Rochester, NY and saw
rum walking down the hall after lunch on March 16, 1989, would not have noticed anything unusual.
A 6-foot 2-inch, 2SD-pound black man with a shaved head and an athletic build, Clendenin was
impressive enough in appearance. He also dressed somewhat outside the Xerox norm: that day he
wore a perfectly pressed ptnk shirt; a brown suit, a paisley tie, and suspenders. But that was
Clendenin's style. Clendenin had a slight smile on his face, as he paused occasionally to chat with
colleagues, asking after their families in a soft, almost musical voice that contrasted with his large
frame.
Nevertheless, Clendenin was in a state of inner turmoil. His boss, fred HeWitt, had just
proposed to Clendenin a lateral move from head of Xerox's Multinational Development Center
(MDC) to a staff support position on Hewitt's staff. Hewitt had also given Clendenin the option of
remaining inhis cunent job if he would make an additional two-year commitment to the MDe.
Since taking over as head of the MDC in 1986 Clendenin and his staff had worked to improve
the efficiency of Xerox's worldwide logistics and inventory management systems. Clendenin was
proud of the MDe's accomplishments. He.b;!lieved the group had discovered and exploited business
opportul)ities that saved Xerox millions of dollars a year. Their "customers," the Xerox operating
units that provided the MDC's funding, seemed to agree; the MDC annual budget had grown from
$400,000 to $4 million, its staff from 4 employees to 42. And the MDC achieved these increases while
virtually every other staff group within Xerox had to cut back on funding and staff.
Personally, Clendenin had been rewarded with four promotions since joining Xerox in 1984.
Until that very morning he thought he was well on his way...