Internal politics distracting managers from 5G: Nokia staff

When Nokia Oyj cut its outlook and halted the dividend last week — wiping out a quarter of its market value — analysts blamed the company’s underinvestment in research and development, execution challenges as well as exposure to a United States (US) phone carrier that had paused spending. Add internal politics to the list.

Employees in Finland are frustrated because they believe that the management at the telecom equipment maker has been distracted by disagreements over priorities and staffing since Nokias $18 billion takeover of Franco-American rival Alcatel-Lucent in 2016, according to Lasse Laurikainen, a worker representative for senior salaried staff at the company’s Espoo headquarters.

“Execution needs to be sharper. It’s pure politics. Some are favouring their nationals and rejecting common ways of working,” Laurikainen said by phone.