In many Mauritian organisations, public and private, decisions are made by the top management. Other employees are condemned to implement these decisions without having the chance to speak their mind. When given the opportunity to express their ideas, they are very rarely listened. Strong hierarchy, directive structures and systematic thinking are ruling in these organisations causing frustration of employees and blocking innovation. Indeed, “high levels of control and strict hierarchy are likely to encourage conformity and reduce variety. So the more elaborate and bureaucratic the top down control, the less likelihood of innovation.” (Johnson et al., 2005)

In 1939, two Stanford University classmates, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, started their company, HP, in a garage of Palo Alto (California) with an initial investment of US$538. Today, HP is one of the world’s largest information technology firms and it is no coincidence.

The management style of the founders, known as the HP Way, did indeed play a crucial role in the company’s success. The HP Way was actually formalised in 1957, the year the company went public.

It recognised that sensing of an organisation’s environment takes place throughout an organisation, not just at the top. All ideas were listened regardless of job title or position and each employee was encouraged in his initiatives to contribute to the success of the company. Integrity, trust in people, respect were the basic values of the HP Way.

To put it short, the Palo Alto firm thrived because its founders understood that nobody has a monopoly on great ideas. As the management experts G. Johnson, K.Scholes and R.Whittington assert, “people interpret issues in different ways according to their experience and may come up with different ideas based on personal experience. The greater the variety of experience, the more likely there will be innovation”.

Since the past years, the global trade regime has been further liberalised under the guidance of the World Trade Organisation. New economies such as China and India have been emerging as giants and threatening the economic power of the developed countries.

The business face of the world has indeed changed and there is no secret if Mauritius wants to succeed in the future. Owing to its limited resources and the smallness of its domestic market, our country will have to be over-creative to differentiate itself from its competitors and eventually secure a place in the global trade arena.

Strengthen economic base</B>