Management
W. L. Gore & Associates
Founded in 1958, W. L. Gore & Associates has become a modern-day success story as a uniquely managed, privately owned, family business. Founders Bill and Vieve Gore set out to explore opportunities for fluorocarbon polymers, especially polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Today Gore is best known for its Gore-Tex fabric and Elixir Strings for guitars. Gore is the leading manufacturer of thousands of advanced technology products for the medical, electronics, industrial, and fabrics markets. With sales of over $2 billion, the company employs approximately 8,000 associates at more than 45 facilities around the world.
Terri Kelly replaced Chuck Carroll as the president and CEO of W. L. Gore & Associates in April 2005. In 2008, Gore was named one of the nation’s best companies to work for by Fortune magazine. It was the 11th consecutive year that Gore appeared on the list. CEO Kelly said 2008’s selection was particularly meaningful because Gore was celebrating its 50th anniversary. According to Kelly, all of Gore’s practices and ways of doing business reflect the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of its founders. “Our practices stress maximizing individual potential, cultivating an environment that fosters creativity, and operating with high integrity in everything we do,” she said.94 CEO Kelly attributes Gore’s success to its unique culture.
How work is conducted at Gore and how employees relate to one another sets Gore apart. There are no formal job titles. Compensation and promotions are determined by peer rankings of each other’s performance. To avoid dampening employee creativity, the company has an organizational structure and culture that goes against conventional wisdom. W. L. Gore & Associates has been described as not only unmanaged but also unstructured. Bill Gore (the founder) referred to the company’s structure as a “lattice organization.” Gore’s lattice structure includes the following features • Direct lines of
Founded in 1958, W. L. Gore & Associates has become a modern-day success story as a uniquely managed, privately owned, family business. Founders Bill and Vieve Gore set out to explore opportunities for fluorocarbon polymers, especially polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Today Gore is best known for its Gore-Tex fabric and Elixir Strings for guitars. Gore is the leading manufacturer of thousands of advanced technology products for the medical, electronics, industrial, and fabrics markets. With sales of over $2 billion, the company employs approximately 8,000 associates at more than 45 facilities around the world.
Terri Kelly replaced Chuck Carroll as the president and CEO of W. L. Gore & Associates in April 2005. In 2008, Gore was named one of the nation’s best companies to work for by Fortune magazine. It was the 11th consecutive year that Gore appeared on the list. CEO Kelly said 2008’s selection was particularly meaningful because Gore was celebrating its 50th anniversary. According to Kelly, all of Gore’s practices and ways of doing business reflect the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of its founders. “Our practices stress maximizing individual potential, cultivating an environment that fosters creativity, and operating with high integrity in everything we do,” she said.94 CEO Kelly attributes Gore’s success to its unique culture.
How work is conducted at Gore and how employees relate to one another sets Gore apart. There are no formal job titles. Compensation and promotions are determined by peer rankings of each other’s performance. To avoid dampening employee creativity, the company has an organizational structure and culture that goes against conventional wisdom. W. L. Gore & Associates has been described as not only unmanaged but also unstructured. Bill Gore (the founder) referred to the company’s structure as a “lattice organization.” Gore’s lattice structure includes the following features • Direct lines of