Different Countries, Adjoining Cubicles

A grimy concrete slab building fronts on a Manila street jammed with smoke-belching taxis and jeepneys. Upstairs is a far more tranquil scene--an air-conditioned floor divided by neat office cubicles filled with Herman Miller chairs and Dell computers. This is the new regional accounting unit of Caltex Petroleum Corp., a 64-year-old joint venture between Texaco Inc. and Chevron Corp. that runs gasoline stations stretching from Southeast Asia to South Africa.

In a dramatic rethink of its corporate structure, Caltex moved its headquarters from Dallas to Singapore last year to be closer to its customers. It shifted Web site development to South Africa. And it set up the Manila accounting division before switching off the lights forever at the Dallas office early this year. "As technology and communication improve, we are scattering centers of excellence around the world," says William Pfluger, general manager of Caltex's Manila operation.