Rockwell Collins, Inc. (NYSE: COL) is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems, solutions, and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers.
Arthur Collins founded Collins Radio Company in 1933 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the purpose of designing and producing both shortwave radio equipment and equipment for the burgeoning AM Broadcast industry. As the Collins reputation for fine quality and uncompromising construction grew, Collins was solicited by the military, the scientific community and by the larger AM radio stations for special equipment. The company captured worldwide attention when Collins supplied the equipment to establish a communications link with the South Pole expedition of Rear Admiral Richard Byrd in 1933.
Financial income increased steadily enabling Arthur Collins to continually change and enhance, broaden and diversify his equipment, which, in the end, became a dominant force in the radio equipment industry. By 1936 Collins had already begun production of their famous 12H audio console, 12X portable field announcers box and their 300E and 300F broadcast transmitters. The 300F design remained staple for over a decade with most remaining in service throughout the 1960s. They were replaced not because of equipment failure but because of relaxed rules permitting daytime only stations operating on clear channel frequencies to increase power and operate at night with 1000 Watts power and more. Throughout WW2, speech equipment also evolved dynamically as industry feedback influenced the designs at Collins. The 12H was quickly replaced with the stunning success of the 212A1 and 212B1 designs that remained in service for decades. It is important to note that during these initial decades of the Collins production of radio equipment, reliability and dependability characterized the demand for equipment. As an example, during the pre-WW2 years, the National Radio Company was the principal contractor for the US military. This changed with the US entrance into WW2 and Collins quickly became the principle supplier of radio and navigation equipment used in the military theater. Uncompromising performance was required.
RC is a horrible place to work. The management is abusive and ruled by HR. This has turned into an HR company that just happens to make radios. Department managers are threatened by anyone who has experience or knowledge. To make diversity quotas they are hiring non American citizens and have them working on secure projects for the government. When these ITAR issues were raised by our customer, management told them to not to worry about it. That customer has since cancelled a multi-million dollar contract. The choices of hiring and firings are almost exclusively made by HR, actual technical managers have little input. I have seen RC make major personal mistakes, due to HR not understanding what engineering staff really do. An example of this is a firing that I witnessed. A woman was recruited into RC whom I had previously worked with at a previous aerospace company. She was a known "mover and shaker" and considered an important "political" and technical asset. The management used to send her to interface with the customer because they knew that the customer had so much trust in her, that her word was good enough for the government to be happy. She was fired from RC when her manager felt threatened by her. That is how RC treats top talent. RC also has a retention problem, with employees coming in with big bonuses and leaving quickly to go elsewhere as quickly as they can.
When Rockwell Collins, a global leader in aerospace and defense systems based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, first considered outsourcing its technology operations to HP, one primary concern was its people. Although the company had done some outsourcing before, this new agreement would be on a much larger scale, affecting nearly 200 employees. It was therefore critical that the transition be managed effectively. Processes needed to be put in place to minimize the agreement’s impact on staff morale and to reduce any risk that would disrupt the company’s operations.
“People’s welfare is extremely important to our company’s culture,” says Reba Winter, Director of e-Business, Rockwell Collins. “Strategically, we knew that outsourcing our IT made sense from a business and competitive perspective. We also knew that there would be a major displacement of our people. We were concerned about the kind of experience our employees would have during and after the transition, and what sort of retention rates we could expect.”
For Winter, who describes HP as a “key Rockwell Collins partner for over 20 years,” turning to HP for help with the transition was a logical step. “As we negotiated the terms of the outsourcing contract with HP, staff impact played a key part.
Rockwell Collins was recently named to the Ethisphere Institute's annual "2010 World's Most Ethical Companies" list. The list highlights the top 100 organizations that lead the way in promoting ethical business standards. These companies go beyond legal minimums, introduce innovative ideas benefiting the public and set an example that encourages their competitors to follow suit.
"Being recognized as one of the world's most ethical companies is a great honor," said Gary Chadick, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Rockwell Collins. "Our unwavering commitment to adhering to the highest standards of business conduct is critical to the success of our company and to building trust every day."
According to the Ethisphere Institute, the 2010 World's Most Ethical Companies have outperformed the S&P 500 by delivering a 53 percent return to shareholders since 2005 - compared to the S&P's four percent shareholder loss over the same period. In addition to improving shareowner returns, the institute has found that a strong ethics program leads to increased consumer loyalty, regulatory leniency in the event of a transgression and higher employee retention rates.
The Ethisphere Institute reviewed nominations from more than 3,000 companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the World's Most Ethical Companies includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers. The institute has been compiling its list of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" since 2007.
Succession planning and employee development programs may have a
significant impact on retention of critical high-performing employees. Even if
these efforts can contradict the effects of industry instabilities, it is also
important to consider whether they will overcome other pressures. For
example, cuts in R&D funding may reduce the opportunities for creative and
challenging work. This affects the intrinsic excitement and cutting-edge
attraction of aerospace work, which may reduce its ability to attract and retain
new workers.
Knowledge management is critical to corporate success because it allows a
firm to capture and use vital resources that reside and are developed in the
workforce. Without adequate strategies to facilitate the flow of knowledgeand learning through the organization, companies will struggle. Rockwell
Collins is taking steps to strategically manage the company's knowledge and
skill resources. Ironically, the same instabilities driving these responses make
them even more essential.
Rockwell Collins was recently named in the Ethisphere Institute's annual '2010 World's Most Ethical Companies' list. The list highlights the top 100 organizations that lead the way in promoting ethical business standards. These companies go beyond legal minimums, introduce innovative ideas benefiting the public and set an example that encourages their competitors to follow suit.
'Being recognized as one of the world's most ethical companies is a great honour,' said Gary Chadick, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Rockwell Collins. 'Our unwavering commitment to adhering to the highest standards of business conduct is critical to the success of our company and to building trust every day.'
According to the Ethisphere Institute, the 2010 World's Most Ethical Companies have outperformed the S&P 500 by delivering a 53 percent return to shareholders since 2005 - compared to the S&P's four percent shareholder loss over the same period. In addition to improving shareowner returns, the institute has found that a strong ethics program leads to increased consumer loyalty, regulatory leniency in the event of a transgression and higher employee retention rates.
The Ethisphere Institute reviewed nominations from more than 3,000 companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the World's Most Ethical Companies includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.
Arthur Collins founded Collins Radio Company in 1933 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the purpose of designing and producing both shortwave radio equipment and equipment for the burgeoning AM Broadcast industry. As the Collins reputation for fine quality and uncompromising construction grew, Collins was solicited by the military, the scientific community and by the larger AM radio stations for special equipment. The company captured worldwide attention when Collins supplied the equipment to establish a communications link with the South Pole expedition of Rear Admiral Richard Byrd in 1933.
Financial income increased steadily enabling Arthur Collins to continually change and enhance, broaden and diversify his equipment, which, in the end, became a dominant force in the radio equipment industry. By 1936 Collins had already begun production of their famous 12H audio console, 12X portable field announcers box and their 300E and 300F broadcast transmitters. The 300F design remained staple for over a decade with most remaining in service throughout the 1960s. They were replaced not because of equipment failure but because of relaxed rules permitting daytime only stations operating on clear channel frequencies to increase power and operate at night with 1000 Watts power and more. Throughout WW2, speech equipment also evolved dynamically as industry feedback influenced the designs at Collins. The 12H was quickly replaced with the stunning success of the 212A1 and 212B1 designs that remained in service for decades. It is important to note that during these initial decades of the Collins production of radio equipment, reliability and dependability characterized the demand for equipment. As an example, during the pre-WW2 years, the National Radio Company was the principal contractor for the US military. This changed with the US entrance into WW2 and Collins quickly became the principle supplier of radio and navigation equipment used in the military theater. Uncompromising performance was required.
RC is a horrible place to work. The management is abusive and ruled by HR. This has turned into an HR company that just happens to make radios. Department managers are threatened by anyone who has experience or knowledge. To make diversity quotas they are hiring non American citizens and have them working on secure projects for the government. When these ITAR issues were raised by our customer, management told them to not to worry about it. That customer has since cancelled a multi-million dollar contract. The choices of hiring and firings are almost exclusively made by HR, actual technical managers have little input. I have seen RC make major personal mistakes, due to HR not understanding what engineering staff really do. An example of this is a firing that I witnessed. A woman was recruited into RC whom I had previously worked with at a previous aerospace company. She was a known "mover and shaker" and considered an important "political" and technical asset. The management used to send her to interface with the customer because they knew that the customer had so much trust in her, that her word was good enough for the government to be happy. She was fired from RC when her manager felt threatened by her. That is how RC treats top talent. RC also has a retention problem, with employees coming in with big bonuses and leaving quickly to go elsewhere as quickly as they can.
When Rockwell Collins, a global leader in aerospace and defense systems based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, first considered outsourcing its technology operations to HP, one primary concern was its people. Although the company had done some outsourcing before, this new agreement would be on a much larger scale, affecting nearly 200 employees. It was therefore critical that the transition be managed effectively. Processes needed to be put in place to minimize the agreement’s impact on staff morale and to reduce any risk that would disrupt the company’s operations.
“People’s welfare is extremely important to our company’s culture,” says Reba Winter, Director of e-Business, Rockwell Collins. “Strategically, we knew that outsourcing our IT made sense from a business and competitive perspective. We also knew that there would be a major displacement of our people. We were concerned about the kind of experience our employees would have during and after the transition, and what sort of retention rates we could expect.”
For Winter, who describes HP as a “key Rockwell Collins partner for over 20 years,” turning to HP for help with the transition was a logical step. “As we negotiated the terms of the outsourcing contract with HP, staff impact played a key part.
Rockwell Collins was recently named to the Ethisphere Institute's annual "2010 World's Most Ethical Companies" list. The list highlights the top 100 organizations that lead the way in promoting ethical business standards. These companies go beyond legal minimums, introduce innovative ideas benefiting the public and set an example that encourages their competitors to follow suit.
"Being recognized as one of the world's most ethical companies is a great honor," said Gary Chadick, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Rockwell Collins. "Our unwavering commitment to adhering to the highest standards of business conduct is critical to the success of our company and to building trust every day."
According to the Ethisphere Institute, the 2010 World's Most Ethical Companies have outperformed the S&P 500 by delivering a 53 percent return to shareholders since 2005 - compared to the S&P's four percent shareholder loss over the same period. In addition to improving shareowner returns, the institute has found that a strong ethics program leads to increased consumer loyalty, regulatory leniency in the event of a transgression and higher employee retention rates.
The Ethisphere Institute reviewed nominations from more than 3,000 companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the World's Most Ethical Companies includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers. The institute has been compiling its list of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" since 2007.
Succession planning and employee development programs may have a
significant impact on retention of critical high-performing employees. Even if
these efforts can contradict the effects of industry instabilities, it is also
important to consider whether they will overcome other pressures. For
example, cuts in R&D funding may reduce the opportunities for creative and
challenging work. This affects the intrinsic excitement and cutting-edge
attraction of aerospace work, which may reduce its ability to attract and retain
new workers.
Knowledge management is critical to corporate success because it allows a
firm to capture and use vital resources that reside and are developed in the
workforce. Without adequate strategies to facilitate the flow of knowledgeand learning through the organization, companies will struggle. Rockwell
Collins is taking steps to strategically manage the company's knowledge and
skill resources. Ironically, the same instabilities driving these responses make
them even more essential.
Rockwell Collins was recently named in the Ethisphere Institute's annual '2010 World's Most Ethical Companies' list. The list highlights the top 100 organizations that lead the way in promoting ethical business standards. These companies go beyond legal minimums, introduce innovative ideas benefiting the public and set an example that encourages their competitors to follow suit.
'Being recognized as one of the world's most ethical companies is a great honour,' said Gary Chadick, senior vice president, general counsel and secretary for Rockwell Collins. 'Our unwavering commitment to adhering to the highest standards of business conduct is critical to the success of our company and to building trust every day.'
According to the Ethisphere Institute, the 2010 World's Most Ethical Companies have outperformed the S&P 500 by delivering a 53 percent return to shareholders since 2005 - compared to the S&P's four percent shareholder loss over the same period. In addition to improving shareowner returns, the institute has found that a strong ethics program leads to increased consumer loyalty, regulatory leniency in the event of a transgression and higher employee retention rates.
The Ethisphere Institute reviewed nominations from more than 3,000 companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries. The methodology for the World's Most Ethical Companies includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.