tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7786829911930294222.post8325796342119719444..comments2012-10-16T01:42:57.435-04:00Comments on The Nancy Skinner Show: Yes, Detroit Can Make a Green TurnaroundNancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06582754456511558837noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7786829911930294222.post-50488888380892667462009-04-07T16:14:00.000-04:002009-04-07T16:14:00.000-04:00I appreciate your `can-do' spirit, Nancy, but you ...I appreciate your `can-do' spirit, Nancy, but you are naive when you dismiss that Detroit isn't obstructing new technology necessary to save themselves: companies do NOT understand the future when they are too fixated on how they've operated in the past. <BR/><BR/>For at least 100 years, established businesses have ignored new products because they challenged their existing investments; the telegraph companies rejected overtures by telephone developers, since spoken-word communication would threaten their existing printed-work product (they didn't appreciate this would be the next step in "communication"); the Wright Bros. were turned down by railroad interests for investing in air transport, because it "competed with" their ground transport biz (not understanding its all transportation). In the `70s, an American TV company research lab developed the flat-panel TV - but tube-TV interests in the co. killed funding because they saw it as `competition' - and the development transferred to Asia - which proceeded to put U.S. tube TV companies out of business.<BR/><BR/>So no - companies do NOT understand how to adapt to the future when they are too fixated on how they've operated in the past.nedclarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12984027755048190367noreply@blogger.com