Section One
Some other well-managed U.S. companies also have
invested heavily in training employees who work in teams.
These companies include A. O. Smith, Boeing, Cummins, Ford,
General Electric, IBM, Kodak, Motorola, Polaroid, Procter &
Gamble, and Xerox.^27 Another example of a company that
invests heavily in training is the Dana Corporation. Like
Corning, the Dana Corporation has used training as a means of
gaining an advantage vis-à-vis its competitors. In a recent year,
Dana invested $10 million in training 8,500 employees with the
expressed purpose of enabling them to meet competitive
needs.^28 Companies in Fortune’s best 100 companies to work
for also provide extensive training:
So the 100 Best are making major investments in
employee education at multimillion-dollar facilities
and through generous tuition-reimbursement
programs. On average, the 100 Best lavished 43
hours of training on each employee... Some
companies have begun to advertise these
learning labs in their recruitment materials. At
brokerage firm Edward Jones (No. 11), new
brokers are immersed in 17 weeks of classes and
study sessions at a cost of $50,000 to $70,000
per head. “We consider training an investment
rather than an expense,” explains Dan Timm, a
principal at the St. Louis company.^29