Destroying American Jobs (ie Kodak)

[ZenGum]

Agree with everything except the claim that paper printing is on the way out. The paperless office just hasn't happened. We are printing more than ever. People prefer to hold a paper copy in their hand and mark it with a pen.

IMHO the problem is short term thinking caused by short term payment calculations. CEO can slash the development (or maintenance - see Qantas) budget, and get rosy profit figures for the next five years, and so get a nice fat bonus for those five years. Eventually, as well described by TW, the company falls behind and profits fall, but by this time the CEO has either moved on or been given a golden parachute to do so. The CEO trades long term survival for short term profitability, because his contract was written in a way to encourage this.

Once again, I have a simple easy effective solution, which is to mumble mumble mumblemumble...

[Lamplighter]

Z, there you go again with your one-size-fits-all solution.

[tw]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Agree with everything except the claim that paper printing is on the way out. The paperless office just hasn't happened. We are printing more than ever. People prefer to hold a paper copy in their hand and mark it with a pen.

That is business school thinking. We know the paperless office (which means massive paper reduction; not zero paper) is inevitable. Recognizing when innovations exist is the real art of business (why did Palm not beat iPad to market dominance?). View massive paper reduction delivered by the Post Office in just the past year. This trend (promised decades ago) has started and is accelerating. Only one educated with a Masters Degree in Buggy Whip Technology could deny it.

According to spread sheets, the office has never had more paper. And they would be right. That proves it will continue? A fundamental difference exists between one trained to know everything from spread sheets verses one who learns by viewing products and innovation that do not yet appear on spread sheets.

As Sculley (who subverted Apple Computer) once said (because his predictions were only from spread sheets), "Everytime I had the computer industry figured out, it had already changed." Just because paper use has peaked does not mean (as Kodak and Wall Street bean counters would have us believe) that paper use will increase. That thinking is only found in what is taught in business schools and on Wall Street. Only found when the purpose of a business is profits.

Printer use (and copiers) will never disappear. But would you spend $billions to develop a “disruptive innovation” – a new lead pencil? Kodak is dong just that. Encouraged by Wall Street experts who only invest in obsolete technologies to enrich themselves and reduce American living standards.

NPR recently discussed a lady who had developed a new technology lithium battery. She had one problem. Wall Street refused to invest in her business - as it also refused to invest in Intel over 40 years ago. She has found investment money (about $250 million) from private and government investors in China. Wall Street would divert $billions into Kodak and cannot invest in future technologies such as Lithium batteries? Exactly.

Another example of why other Americans get brutally punished with poverty. Because the best paid people are corrupt and dumb as George Jr (also a business school graduate).

BTW, this post proves UG is a flaming liberal. He (like George Jr supporters) will dispute this.