Just a few years ago, my overview of Honeywell's corporate culture started with reference to the merger of Honeywell and Allied Signal in 1999 and the famously failed GE acquisition in 2000.

With good leadership and stable management, Honeywell continues not only to survive, but thrive. It's interesting to note that, 6 years after the aborted merger, a comparison of stock prices shows that Honeywell value has gained about 20% over GE in what would have amounted to a stock-swap.

Today Honeywell stands on its own, with little to no talk about divisions and segments being bought out or sold off. In fact, Honeywell has been a significant acquirer recently, with numerous acquisitions in the Automation and Control Solutions (ACS) business, not to mention the significant addition of UOP to their Specialty Materials business.

The new Honeywell does indeed seem to have a stable management in place at the top levels, and they have succeeded in establishing a refreshing, more open culture, with a lot more results orientation and recognition for those who get results.

My updated view of the Honeywell corporate culture has just been published on Automation.com (September 2006). Their popular Corporate Culture Series includes review of several major automation companies, as well as emerging leaders. If you'd like to understand the corporate ethos of other automation companies, please send me an email.