The fact we can't download the report is ironic given the focus on Tyco's practices!
Focus on corrupt employees is pretty irrelevant as it's common in most companies of this size. Indeed, within the UK, it's the Tyco corporate culture that restricts the sales teams from many opportunities.
It's fair to say there are some excellent sales people, engineers, designers and the like within Tyco - but there are also a very significant number of "weak links". The size of Tyco, Chubb etc allows the "weak links" to hide very very easily - and this also serves to demoralize the far more proficient staff. The companies arrogant approach to customers will always feed back to smaller installers and the fragmented basis of it's workforce in the UK, based upon legacy acquisitions that only serves to fuel resentment, empire building and an overall picture of a disconnected, dysfunctional organisation.
I have also worked for them (not out of choice - but following acquisition) - and they are truly awful employers at every level. As a salesman they are also embarrassing to work for - not least as their appalling customer interaction sets the scene for any sales visit. It would be fair to say my comments are based upon my own anecdotal experience rather than hearsay or rumour.
The fact is that Tyco is NOT the sum of some of the great companies it has acquired. Instead of taking an iota of strength from the companies, it simply moulded them all into the shape of it's illustrious Dennis Kozlowski's vision.....and that says it all!
It's the easiest thing in the world to compete against them. Their use of templated quotes using "in-house" manufacturers, sold by inexperienced sales teams makes them easy pickings, sometimes. By the same token, how you can bid against a national company which will absorb the loss when a rooky salesman has massively under-quoted a job, is a common issue.
In summary, I would say they they do not provide a great deal of threat. I have always said that the day they do eventually get their sh*t together, is the day when I will lose sleep - but that day will never come. It's a sad indictment on many of the staff who are truly professional, gifted individuals - sucked into a corporate, dysfunctional chasm.
