創新 7 原則及樂高的衰敗

電玩遊戲、MP3 播放器及各種高科技玩意兒在 20 世紀末進入全球玩具市場，也向樂高宣告新挑戰的到來。儘管這家公司一直以來不斷創新，但卻突然發現自己處於落後的追趕模式。為了扭轉局勢，樂高根據 7 個企業界最廣為人知的創新理論，推出野心勃勃的成長策略。這些在其他公司似乎可以化腐朽為神奇的點子，卻幾乎將樂高擊沉，整間公司有如捲入死亡漩渦。

The Seven Truths of Innovation and LEGO’s Decline

The arrival of video games, MP3 players and high-tech goodies in the global toy marketplace at the end of the twentieth century heralded a new challenge for LEGO. While the company has always been innovative, it suddenly found itself in catch-up mode. In response, LEGO rolled out an ambitious growth strategy based on seven of the most widely heralded innovation theories of the business world. These ideas – which seemed to work wonders for other companies – almost sank LEGO and it looked like the company was in a death spiral.

樂高成立於 1934 年，由科克．克里斯蒂安森創立於丹麥比隆市一間小型木匠工坊。公司名稱取自兩個丹麥字：「leggodt」，意思是「好好地玩」。樂高早年經營異常艱難，克里斯蒂安森經歷了經濟大蕭條、德國在二次世界大戰期間占領丹麥，以及1942 年一場大火燒毀了樂高廠房。在那個階段，克里斯蒂安森幾乎決定放棄，但他的堅持以及對公司員工的責任感讓他繼續走下去。終於，新的樂高廠房在 1944 年恢復運作，克里斯蒂安森開始著手重建公司。

LEGO came into being in 1934. It was founded by Kirk Christiansen in a small carpenter’s workshop located in Billund, Denmark. The company took its name from two Danish words: leg godt which means “Play Well” in English. LEGO’s early years were marked by extraordinary hardship as Kirk Christiansen worked through the Great Depression, Germany’s occupation of Denmark during World War II and a fire which destroyed the LEGO factory in 1942. Christiansen almost gave up at that stage but his tenaciousness and his sense of obligation to the company’s employees kept him going. Eventually, a new LEGO factory was back in operation by 1944 and Kirk Christiansen set about rebuilding the company.