Case Analysis of Intel Corporation – Leveraging Capabilities for Strategic Renewal
Dorothy Thornton
Concordia University Portland

Technology is a constantly shifting market and Intel is an organization which has adapted their corporate culture and vision to meet the demands of these changes. In the 1980’s Intel’s vision was a performance driven organization focused on new product development with action orientation from the front lines (Bartlett & Nanda, 1994). According to John P Kotter (1995), “A vision says something that clarifies the direction in which an organization needs to move” (p. 63). Intel frequently moved in different organizational directions in the 1980’s to meet the needs of the company. The emerging primary challenge for Intel in the 1990’s was deciding where to make a technological investment in the company. Intel had been successful in the past due to their ability to leapfrog with technology. Intel needed to identify and allocate resources to the products that would allow Intel to remain at the heart of the computer industry. Although Intel had was profitable making microprocessors, they were also investing in other new technology such as the flash chips which had the promise to replace discs and disc drives. Intel needed to determine what technology to invest in to stay ahead of its competitors. This idea is supported in That Used to Be Us which explains American success by staying ahead of the technology curve.
Intel’s organizational culture is a performance–driven transformational culture. “The organization consistently retains and grows value remains vibrant even in the face of a downturn and dramatic shifts in the environment, and sustains viability even while traversing challenging conditions” (Wallace & Trinka, 2007 p. 22) Intel’s values appear to be encouraging innovation and flexibility and learning. These values