"There’s a heartfelt belief at BMW that people be taught a difference of opinion is O.K. Some conflict is bound to happen. Everyone is working wholeheartedly—and if they’re given free rein to individuality, inevitably people will clash. The clash may escalate. If so, you call meetings and make a decision.

"What happens is that people aren’t punished for disagreeing. They aren’t told, ‘We don’t want to see you doing this again.’ The rule is that you can make mistakes. At BMW, you aren’t trained to avoid conflict. If something is brewing, you bring it out in the open, deal with it, and move on.

"In other organizations, the conflicts have such a negative impact. We believe rather than talking in the kitchen behind people’s backs about your frustrations, which is what happens in most big companies, you get everything out in the open."

Adrian van Hooydonk, Brand Chief Designer at BMW as quoted on BusinessWeek Online (October 16, 2006)