ment to globalization. Research and development is conducted in 21 different countries, while manufacturing or conversion operations are conducted in 41 countries. In addition, the goal is to keep foreign subsidiaries self-supporting. In years past, the company encouraged its foreign operations to begin small, and put the profits back into the business. As the global economy has changed, however, 3M has recognized that it too must change and so it is willing to make larger commitments in resources to its new foreign operations in order to foster their success.
3M seeks to dominate the markets in which it competes, and considers all of its stakeholders as it sets out to do this. In addition to employing local individuals in its foreign operations, the company also completed an intensive customer research survey in 1992 that indicated that the company was, overall meeting or exceeding its customers' expectations with regard to products and customer
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