THE RIGHT WAY TO GO GLOBAL - AN INTERVIEW WITH WHIRLPOOL CEO WHITWAM,DAVID

Everybody is talking about going global, but hardly anyone understands what ''global'' really means, contends David Whitwam, chairman and CE O of Whirlpool Corporation. There's a big difference between being an international company - selling globally, having global brands, or hav ing operations in different countries - and truly being a global enter prise. Too many companies plant flags; very few leverage their capabil ities around the world to create the most powerful, cohesive organizat ions they can. Whitwam's vision is for Whirlpool to become an integrat ed, global enterprise. But the process is not easy - particularly at m ature corporations with long-established cultures - because a CEO can' t change a company's mission and mind-set by edict alone. He or she mu st be able to convince employees throughout the organization that such change is not only possible, but also the best course of action. Empl oyees must want to change their beliefs and behavior. And the process can't stop there. The CEO must then create cross-border processes that force that change to occur. Whitwam is the first to admit that Whirlp ool's transformation - which began with its purchase of N.V. Philips's troubled European appliance business in 1989 - is not complete. In th is interview with HBR associate editor Regina Fazio Maruca, he discuss ed the lessons the company has learned - and continues to learn - on t he way.