Mighty Is the Mongrel

Silicon Valley is not an aberration. Throughout the United States, hybridity pays off in higher-quality ideas, in greater flexibility, and in closer ties to places and people around the world. The United States offers the best example of what happens economically when an entire business class exploits hybridity. The new economic paradigm turns hybrids into a signal economic weapon. And, because the United States has more hybrids than anywhere else, it gets a bigger bang from hybridity than any other country.

But the idea is spreading. Edgar van Ommen, managing director of Sony's unit in Berlin, believes in the "principle of United Nations." His prime directive is to recruit the best people for his team, regardless of their nationality. Sure, that makes life tougher for managers. But what's the alternative? For the most idea-driven enterprises, a focus on one nationality is too limiting. Ommen grew up in Austria, married a German, holds a Dutch passport, and keeps a second home in Bangkok. Two-thirds of the 60 people on his team come from outside Germany; they represent more than a dozen nationalities. "The engineering of a concept is a lot easier because each person shows a different emotion as to what's being presented," Ommen says. "Maybe the Turkish lady likes it, but the Sri Lankan doesn't." To think great thoughts, he says, employees must contribute their "whole being," not just their mind. Heated argument may spur fresh ideas. Passion matters.