Reframing resistance to change: experience from General Motors Poland

This paper describes the successful introduction of a kaizen scheme in a General Motors factory plant in Gliwice, Poland. Employee value systems changed, despite the presence of strong, pre-existing values that might have inhibited this process. These findings are drawn on to examine the concept of ‘resistance to change’ and replace it with a notion of ‘functional persistence’. Our case study illustrates how assuming this position can aid the development of new work attitudes, as opposed to constraining the old ones.

Reverse knowledge transfer: evidence from General Motors in the UK and Poland

This paper explores the concept of a reverse diffusion of knowledge, that is, the transfer flowing from a company’s subsidiary to its home plant. The article presents the empirical evidence gathered in General Motors UK and Poland, where the reverse diffusion of a concept of the built-in quality took place. Lastly, the implications of our findings for future research are discussed.