IBM

The old adage may still be true: nobody gets fired for choosing Big Blue.

Sometimes it feels as though IBM is too big to fail, so it will be around forever.

So in that one sense, there's job security.

There's a strong sense of mission alignment, especially among senior management.

I suppose one can take some comfort in that.

The downside is the constant feeling of thrash as IBM goes quarter over quarter, posting losses on its balance sheet. Watson technology is the new hope. Don't be fooled by the marketing; there's plenty of confusion over what exactly Watson can do, and way too much overloading of products with the word 'cognitive'.

IBM's greatest resource is its employees, not its technology.

Work harder to attract and retain great people, with competitive salaries and perks, in all divisions.

Separate sub-cultures that appear privileged (IBM Design comes to mind) undermine unity and dilute the strength of the mission.