A Different Story: Seduction, Conquest and Discovery

There is a story about two companies, and how the one was supported and dominated by the other. Even today, more than 13 years after their separation, the support and domination of one company over the other seems to continue. In 2001 NNE (Novo Nordisk Engineering A/S), celebrated its tenth anniversary as an independent affiliate within the Novo Group. The anniversary was celebrated with a huge party at the Øksnehallen Exhibition Centre located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Here NNE launched its new Corporate Visual Identity (CVI). The CVI was created in order for NNE to show the world that it strived to become the market leader in the growing fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Equally important, NNE wanted to detach itself from its supporter and dominator, the company Novo Nordisk A/S. To begin with, NNE changed its name from Novo Nordisk Engineering A/S to NNE; secondly it created a new logo; and last, as a brand promise, it stated: Unique Know How. In fact, NNE changed all of its visual identity (i.e. CVI) in a manner like that of pirates who want to change identity by raising another flag on the mast before anchoring at a harbor. ... In this book I will focus on organizing, the living alternative that grows within NNE. As a first approach I will describe the history of NNE, although an organization always is many. Then I will describe the field of labor in order to illustrate that labor is an open and, to some extent, inclusive concept. From here on I will follow three traits, that is, seduction, conquest and discovery, and the different beats articulated from within and relate it to NNE.