Why you know Lucent Technology is in big trouble. 85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management. Since 2002, that has been Partricia Russo. A collection of sentences from a variety of web sites provides this 'smoking gun' reason why Lucent Technology cannot heal itself:
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Patricia F. Russo received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown with a degree in political science and history and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University in 1989. Before joining AT&T in 1981, Ms. Russo spent eight years in sales and marketing at IBM. Prior to 1992, she held key management and executive positions throughout AT&T in strategic planning, marketing, human resources and operations.
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Strategic planning? Marketing? Personnel Director? Where once did she ever get her hands dirty with technology, electricity, communication, and other realities of her business? She did not. By definition, Russo is a classic example of an overpaid business school graduate that stifles innovation - as Carly Fiorina was also doing in HP.
Technically a takeover of Lucent by Alcatel is a merger of equals. But that also was the takeover of Chrysler by Mercedes. This image is important because so many Americans worry about foreigners taking over American companies (ports) rather than first learn why those takeovers are necessary. What percentage of science and engineering degrees are held by American? Barbie said it best. Math is hard. Funny. That is also what a certain American president says to make us think he even reads his memos.
85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management - who like George Jr, Rick Wagoner of GM, and Anthony Alexander of 1st Energy (who created the NE blackout) - all don't come from where real work is performed. They are, instead, graduates of business and law schools.