Back in the late 1990s when I was writing “The Entrepreneurial Adventure: A History of American Business” (later reprinted as “American Entrepreneur”), I was researching Nucor and called the company headquarters for an appointment to interview the president, Ken Iverson. I got a secretary and expected to be given a calendar date of two or three months out to call back. Instead I got a beep: “Ken Iverson.”
I was stunned. In one call I did an interview with the president of the third largest steel company in America, while getting a meeting with the president of my own (fairly dinky) little college too months!
Nucor, at the time, had a manager-to-plant ratio of .9 (!!!)
My university had three provosts, several assistant provosts, five deans, and at least five assistant deans for a student body of 6,000 regular students.
And people wonder why universities are so inept.
Interesting insight! Thanks for posting.
Great story!