Management, Movies

Seagate goes ‘City Slickers’ route?

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It’s what Watkins, 53, says at the start of every Eco Seagate, the annual
$2 million mother of all team-building events held at the bottom of the world.
That’s a lot to spend on what looks like a boondoggle. What does running
around the southern Alps have to do with engineering? Nothing, actually,
and that’s the point. The glaciers of New Zealand’s South Island form an
environment completely unfamiliar to the average tech worker. It’s expansive,
glorious, and awe-inspiring, but it’s also uncertain and intimidating, making
everyone feel off balance. Of course Watkins isn’t trying to kill his charges.
But he is making them uncomfortable as a way to open their minds. He thinks
Eco week, which Seagate has been holding since 2000, helps build a more
collaborative, team-oriented company. He also thinks it teaches his people
something about priorities.

More at Fortune.com
Related Links
City Slickers in IMDB

1-By Laksh, Books

The Appeal:John Grisham

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“The Appeal” is the latest from John Grisham’s stable and his 20th novel.

Unlike his other books “The Appeal” doesn’t jam onto one character so
much as its characters run a relay race of a plot, passing the baton
as the story progresses.And, for a change it is not about racism,
even though it is set in the South.Instead it is about a giant chemical
company which is making money at the cost of human lives.

The novel though starts off like a David win againt Goliath, for unknown
reasons traces the reversal of fortune. Rich guy makes more money
at the last, while the crusading lawyers find themselves bankrupt.
You are likely to remember movies like ‘The Civil Action’ and
‘Erin Brockovich’.

Though slow paced at times, the novel is a good read, specially
if you areinterested in how Supreme Court judges are elected.
Infact, it offers a great primer on campaign management:)

Business Ideas/Plans, Internet

e-Localization Knows No Borders

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The move makes perfect sense. Certainly India as a whole is exploding
with retail opportunity right now, but its cross-channel opportunities
are even more out-of-hand. Current projections call for e-commerce
sales to rise 300% nation-wide over the next three years.

Pantaloon expects 60% of those sales to come from Indians
between 19-30 years old, and is banking on studies that show
the ubiquity of broadband internet access (up 40% from two years ago)
as the key to hyper-driving online sales.

The company believes that Indians with broadband access spend
significantly more in the online channel, and envisions 75% of
Indians having that access by year’s end.

More here

ET, IT…and the rest