Book Description

Breakthrough Research on Knowledge Transfer Reveals Five ProvenMethods for Making Knowledge Sharing a Reality-Which are Right for Your Company?

While external knowledge-about customers, about competitors-is critical, it rarely provides a competitive edge for companies because such information is equally available to everyone. But internal "know-how" that is unique to a specific company-how to introduce a new drug into the diabetes market, how to decrease assembly time in an automobile plant-is the stuff of which sustained competitive advantage is made. Nancy Dixon, an expert in the field of organizational learning, calls this knowledge borne of experience "common knowledge," and argues that in order to get beyond talking about knowledge management to actually doing it, companies must first recognize that all knowledge is not created-and therefore can't be shared-equally.

Creating successful knowledge transfer systems, Dixon argues, requires matching the type of knowledge to be shared to the method best suited for transferring it effectively. Based on an in-depth study of several organizations-including Ernst & Young, Bechtel, Ford, Chevron, British Petroleum, Texas Instruments, and the U.S. Army-that are leading the field in successful knowledge transfer, Common Knowledge reveals groundbreaking insights into how organizational knowledge is created, how it can be effectively shared-and why transfer systems work when they do.

Until now, most organizations have had to rely on costly "trial and error" to find a knowledge transfer system that works for them. Dixon helps managers take the guesswork out of this process by outlining three criteria that must be considered in order to determine how a transfer method will work in a specific situation: the type of knowledge to be transferred, the nature of the task, and who the receiver of that knowledge will be. Drawing from the successful-but very different-practices of the companies in her study and providing compelling illustrative stories based on the experiences of real managers, Dixon distills five distinct categories of knowledge transfer, explains the principles that make each of them work, and helps managers determine which of these systems would be most effective in their own organizations.

Common Knowledge gets to the heart of one of the most difficult questions in knowledge transfer today:What makes a system work effectively in one organization but fail miserably in another? Going beyond "one-size-fits-all" approaches and simple generalities like upper management involvement and cultural issues, this important book will help organizations of every kind construct knowledge transfer systems tailored to their unique forms of "common knowledge"-and in the process create the best kind of competitive advantage there is: the kind that can't be copied. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

All of Us Know More Than Any One of Us Does
Dixon does indeed explain HOW companies thrive by sharing what they know. (She apparently agrees with Derek Bok, former president of Harvard, when responding to irate parents after a tuition increase: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.") In her Introduction, she identifies three myths (or assumptions about the idea of knowledge sharing: (1) build it and they will come (the so-called "Field of Dreams Syndrome"), (2) technology can replace face-to-face, and (3) first you have to create a learning culture. "Many of the organizations I studied started with one or more of these assumptions and then had to make corrections to get back on track." She then explains why each myth or assumption is either wrong or inadequate. After that, she observes: My major goal in writing this book is to broaden readers' thinking about how a company might share knowledge. Therefore I discuss many ways in which real companies have successfully transferred knowledge....Another goal is to help readers figure out which of these many systems [subsequently analyzed] would be most effective in their own settings -- how to tell whether BP's Peer Assist would be more effective than Ford's Best Practice Replication." All this in the Introduction (!) which serves as the first of the nine chapters within which her material is organized.

The objective of Dixon's study of ten organizations (ranging from Bechtel to the U.S. Army) was to understand why some knowledge transfer systems are effective...and why others are not. Eventually, she concluded that "These organizations know a great deal about how...but much less about why." Moreover, "Organizations like the ones I have written about in this book, that are on the leading edge of knowledge transfer have been learning on their own, primarily through trial and error." To which I presume to add, that we must understand how to learn if any knowledge (about anything else) is to be gained. Moreover, there are also quite specific skills required when helping others to learn what we know. In her book, Dixon provides a wealth of information which includes cases and examples, a "synthesis that retains the separate voices of the examples", "stories" which preserve the emotions and values of people involved. general principles derived from the cases, and an "articulation" of the reasoning behind the various categories (eg absorptive capacity) inorder to reveal the WHY behind the categories. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline and his more recent The Dance of Change.

Our best guide to knowledge transfer
This is the best book available on knowledge transfer. Based upon the author's deep understanding of organizational learning theory and her careful examination of the practices of major corporations, it offers clear definitions of five types of knowledge transfer, along with criteria, design guidelines, business drivers and potential barriers for each. Examples of each transfer type (from teams reviewing their actions in order to perform better together in a new setting to strategic learning and sharing of expert knowledge) are employed less to bolster a thesis than to illustrate how classifications were evolved and tested. Intelligently crafted categories based upon similarities of tasks and contexts, the nature of tasks, and knowledge type provide a framework for organizations to build a system for employing "common knowledge" for business objectives. Written with clarity and grace, this volume explores the power of metaphor and of the values of sharing, listening and trust, while developing our most practical guide for integrating effective knowledge transfer into organizations' strategic architecture. Highly recommended.

A very useful taxonomy of knowledge transfer techniques
Looking for in-depth case studies of KM in action at large organisations? This book offers a superb collection and analysis of knowledge transfer techniques at companies like Ernst&Young, Bechtel, Ford, Chevron, British Petroleum, Texas Instruments, and the U.S. Army.

The material is divided into 9 chapters, and the writing style is very focused and precise. Useful flowcharts and checklists make the material a must-read for KM professionals and management strategists.

Dixon begins by deconstructing some common myths ' such as 'build it and they will come.' Knowledge transfer which is merely based on accumulating electronic databases will bring about neither appropriate contributions nor adequate retrievals; incentives, discipline, actionable results, alignment with objectives, and face-to-face communication are key requisites.

Going beyond broad generalizations of organizational knowledge management, the book focuses specifically on the issue of knowledge transfer, and identifies five key categories of lesson sharing in large companies: serial transfer, near transfer, far transfer, strategic transfer and expert transfer.

They differ in terms of who the intended knowledge receiver is (same or different from the source), the nature of the task involved (frequency and routine), and the type of knowledge being transferred (tacit/explicit).

One chapter each is devoted to the five kinds of transfer mechanisms, and two chapters tie all the material together in terms of guidelines for building knowledge transfer systems.

In serial transfer, the collective knowledge a team has gained from doing its task in one setting is transferred to the next time that the same team does the task in a different setting. The tasks are frequent, so meetings are held regularly and assessment questions are standardized.

In near transfer of explicit knowledge, the source and recipient teams are different ' but the tasks are quite similar. The tasks are routine; selected goal-oriented information is disseminated electronically, along with supplemental personal interaction; information usage is monitored and assessed.

In far transfer, the tacit knowledge a team gained from doing a non-routine task is made available to other teams doing similar work in another part of the organization. There is a reciprocal exchange of knowledge, and face-to-face meetings as well as movement of experts are involved.

Examples include BP's Peer Assist (initiated in 1994, to share experience in challenging areas like deciding whether to invest in a new rig; the transfer includes a visit to rig sites by peers), Chevron's Capital Project Management (with online forums as well as physical movement of project managers to spread learned lessons across the company), and Lockheed Martin's LM21 Best Practices (to identify and eliminate redundant facilities, capabilities and structures across its 30 subsidiaries; assessments were made of performance and financial performance).

Other examples include Japan's Dai-Ichi Pharmaceuticals, where researchers are expected to spend 20 minutes a day in 'talk rooms' where anyone can dialogue with them. 'Tacit knowledge can be transferred by moving the people who have the knowledge around. Calling on tacit knowledge is not just a memory task, it is as often an act of creation or invention,' says Dixon.

Top-level commitment to the process is called for. Some companies like Ernst&Young designate certain knowledgeable people as 'shared resources,' who spend a chunk of their time sharing their knowledge companywide.

Strategic transfer is called for when the collective knowledge of the organization is needed to accomplish a strategic task that occurs infrequently ' but is critical to the whole organization. The knowledge gathering is conducted during the actual operation; it can be expensive and resource-intensive, and also involves knowledge specialists who collect information, conduct interviews, videotape discussions, interpret the examples, and synthesise knowledge.

A useful methodology here is MIT's 'learning history' process, which results in a narrative document describing an event and incorporating quotes from multiple sources and even contradictory perspectives. The process should include subsequent reflective research and validation. These events need not have to be the 'best,' but will always have useful learnings.

The resulting documentation from strategic transfer can be disseminated on Intranets, and should have guidelines, checklists, people profiles, contact information, colourful overall narratives, records, and artifacts. Once created by KM specialists, the product is handed over to a community of practice that has the responsibility of keeping it current.

Expert transfer involves the transfer of explicit knowledge from an expert to someone who faces a problem beyond their current scope. Knowledge is pulled from the expert on demand, via threaded electronic forums to which support is dedicated for monitoring, escalation and support.

Examples include Buckman Lab's TechForums (started in 1992, monitored by librarians and sysops, and supported by editorial help in producing weekly summaries of discussions), Tandem Computer's Second Class Mail (for tech support), Chevron's Best Practices Resource Map (a yellow pages of employee resources), the World Bank's internal help line, and Ernst&Young's Knowledge Stewards. Online infrastructure is critical here for multinationals, and there can be infrastructure problems in developing countries.

In terms of RoI, Ford reportedly claims that US$34 million were saved in just one year by transferring ideas between Vehicle Operations plants; Texas Instruments saved enough from transferring knowledge between wafer fabrication plants to pay for building a whole new facility.

The books shows how each organization can have multiple ways of transferring knowledge, involving databases, response systems, monitoring, meetings, and dedicated KM staff. Appropriate audits of knowledge assets, knowledge gaps, existing knowledge flows, and critical processes need to be conducted, sometimes with external assistance.

As for branding knowledge transfer initiatives, Dixon observes that they often don't even mention the word 'knowledge' ' the emphasis is on words like peering, assistance, team building, and networking.

In sum, this book provides an excellent view of knowledge practices right from the trenches of companies at the cutting edge of KM. The inductive analysis and roadmaps for implementing knowledge transfer are essential reading for knowledge professionals in all manner of large organizations.

>>>>>>>

Madanmohan Rao is the author of "The Asia-Pacific Internet Handbook" and can be reached at madan@inomy.com

Read This Before Foisting KM on Your Org....
In presenting alternative systems of knowledge sharing, and their strengths and weakenesses for the types, times, and range of knowledge, Dixon's best contribution is to guide the reader from following certain dead-ends, though not necessarily ensuring a success down the right path.

This book, though incredibly well-written in clarity and focus, is not so practical for the working manager faced with creating a "KM Solution" that will stick, as it is for those task forces and executives thinking about KM solutions and wanting to avoid mistakes - oh so common in today's organizations!

So, if you are looking for high-level descriptions of the various systems of knowledge sharing, their strenghts and weakenesses, the cases in the book are lively, thought-provoking, and interesting to follow along.

Cashing in on "Common Knowledge"
The author focuses on only one type of the many possible types of knowledge that reside in a workplace: the knowledge that employees learn from doing the organization's tasks. She terms this kind of knowledge as "Common Knowledge" to differentiate it from book knowledge or from lists of regulations or data bases of customer information.
The author puts high value to this type of knowledge because it is unique to a specific company. This specificity in turn gives the knowledge gained from experience the potential to provide an organization with a competitive edge. The author points out that although other types of knowledge - such as, customer information and competitor intelligence - must be made widely available; they have less potential to provide a competitive advantage because the same knowledge is equally available to competitors. It takes a certain amount of intention, the author points out, to create common knowledge out of an experience. This involves a willingness to reflect back, a postmortem, on actions and their outcomes before moving forward to another project. This allows a team to build knowledge on what worked well so that the successes are replicated while the failures are avoided.
The author spends less time on organization and storage of information and concentrates her efforts to knowledge transfer. One of the myths the author dispels regarding the organization and storage of information is the myth that if management builds a "warehouse" of knowledge, the worker's that need the information will come and take out what they need. Apparently the notion of knowledge being documented and located in a central place offers a comforting sense of control and manageability. Most organizations therefore build a central electronic database, a perfect fit for the warehouse image but to their dismay, having spent a lot of money to create the database, find that very little in the way of contributions and retrievals occur with much enthusiasm.
Most companies will attempt to "fix" the lack of contributions by offering an incentive system that offers rewards to workers who contribute and retrieve knowledge. Although the incentives work to some extent, the do not deliver the hoped for results. The author contends that the answer is not in better incentives but rather in altering the powerful originating image of a warehouse that places the focus on collecting and storing of knowledge instead of placing focus on reusing it. The reuse of knowledge is the ultimate goal.
The author spends a considerable amount of time on the issue of exchange (leverage or transfer) of knowledge in the workplace. Again two myths are dispelled regarding the exchange of knowledge. One is that technology can replace face-to- face exchanges. Although technology allows workers to share knowledge without having to be in the same place it cannot replace face-to-face interactions. Technology has to be married with face-to-face interaction to create the most effective knowledge transfer systems; one does not replace the other although one can greatly enhance the other.
The author also dispels the myth that one has to create a learning culture first in order to have effective knowledge exchange. She contends that it is really the other way round, that is, if people begin sharing ideas that they see as really important, the sharing itself creates a learning culture. The exchange therefore imparts positively on the learning culture. She contends that people are generally willing to share knowledge in an organization if they are acknowledged and respected for their expertise. If they share their knowledge, then the knowledge is held in common - common knowledge that is shared throughout the organization and gives that organization a competitive edge.
The author notes that regarding the transfer of knowledge, "one size doesn't fit all". Unless the transfer system is appropriate fit for the kind of knowledge and task, it may be ignored and eventually abandoned. What knowledge exchange method is used in a specific situation depends on three criteria:
· Who the intended receiver of the knowledge is in terms of similarity of task and context.
· The nature of the task in terms of how routine and frequent it is.
· The type of knowledge that is being transferred.
Once the criteria above are identified for each situation then the knowledge exchange mechanism is devised. The author discusses five categories of knowledge transfer, each of which requires different design elements to make the transfer work. The five categories are Serial Transfer, Near Transfer, Far Transfer, Strategic Transfer and Expert Transfer.
The author discusses the design of an integrated system for knowledge transfer based on the needs and resources of an organization. She points out that the design of a knowledge transfer system should be based on the thought of knowledge as dynamic and that conduits to enhance its flow should be designed rather than warehouses for its storage. ... Read more

Book Description

The fourth in the readers' series Resources for the Knowledge-Based Economy, The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital analyzes the link between the strategic and operational roles of intellectual capital in the organization.

The Strategic Management of Intellectual Capital is the perfect resource for the growing number of companies pursuing a strategic approach to managing their intellectual capital and harnessing and leveraging their knowledge, experience, and expertise more systematically to attain a competitive advantage.

Offers a compilation of articles pertinent to the management of intellectual capital.
Included are case studies, frameworks, and tools for developing organizational programs in this emerging enterprise.
Provides an understanding of the importance of intellectual capital and how to manage it. ... Read more

Book Description

Companies around the world are beginning to recognize that only by increasing the speed and quality of their learning can they succeed in the rapidly changing global marketplace. Developing organization-wide learning and becoming a learning organization has become critical for adaptation and survival.Organizational Learning: From World Class Theories to Global Best Practices starts with a review of significant learning theory and research accomplished over the past 20 years. This research is integrated into an action-centered theory of organizational learning. The book then explores in depth the Organizational Learning System Model developed by David Schwandt that has been applied in a variety of public and private organizations. Recognizing that companies now work with multicultural groups in a global marketplace, the authors also examine cultural implications of the Model. The authors present best-practice application of the Organizational Learning System Model by companies from around the world, including Arthur Anderson, Price Waterhouse, Beloit Corporation, Motorola, and Meralco. These are companies that have taken the leadership in developing learning systems on a organization-wide basis.Organizational Learning: From World Class Theories to Global Best Practices provides practical steps and strategies for developingand applying organizational learning in the workplace. Features ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best book on organizational learning
A comprehensive overview of organizational learning theory with great company cases! ... Read more

Book Description

Realizing organizational change and innovation is a complex process.

Dynamics of Organizational Change and Learning is concerned with the behaviour of individuals, and the social processes in groups and organizations during the process of change.

Leading authorities from 9 countries discuss the processes, problems, and successes of organizational change and learning, and offer critical reflections on the conventional wisdom of planned change.

Dynamics of Organizational Change and Learning combines proven knowledge and robust theories of organizational change and learning with new perspectives from social constructionism and postmodern organization theories. It will be a source of knowledge and inspiration for organizational professionals, management consultants, academics, and students. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ever since Hewlett-Packard emerged from one in 1939, a "garage" has come to symbolize the no-holds-barred mentality that fosters the kind of creativity that drove this company--and the dozens more it spawned--to heights theretofore unknown. Bernd Schmitt, a Columbia Business School professor who has written several well-received marketing books (Experiential Marketing, Marketing Aesthetics) takes this image to the next level in Build Your Own Garage by relaying strategies that readers can adapt to their own enterprises whether they are housed in a converted parking structure or not.

As one might suspect from a book that advocates the unorthodox, Schmitt chooses to deliver his ideas in an unconventional manner. Each chapter begins with an elaborate short story by Laura Brown that encapsulates its central concepts (such as a vampire tale based on Bram Stoker's Dracula that illustrates how "the strictures of traditional corporate culture are enough to suck the life energy out of anyone"). Also sprinkled throughout are photographs and images by graphic artist Gail Anderson, which simultaneously reinforce the book's themes (on topics including technology, branding and "customer experience management") and distance it from buttoned-down management tomes that espouse the very group-think Schmitt is trying to eliminate. Those seeking new ideas who are not turned off by unique presentations should find this intriguing. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Clever stories but no handbook
The book benefits from amusing anecdotes but is very light on actual help for putting in place a workable framework for managing business innovation.

Wake-Up Call for Traditional Marketing Literature
Finally somebody tearing down the "dusty" rules and old-fashioned formats of how to write a marketing book. This book is not only creative, well thought-out, and informative it is especially fun to read.
An absolute must-read!

Build Your Own Garage
Another brilliant book fom Bernd Schmitt (the man behind "Experiential Marketing"). Very creative, great ideas about managing and adding creativity to yr organization. I loved the website too --buildyourowngarage.com. Very creative, hand-drawn design!

Sparking Corporate Creativity
Having read Schmitt's books on marketing, I was very interested to see him branching out into the field of corporate creativity. "Build Your Own Garage" is a really interesting, quirky book that sparks the imagination and also offers practical, concrete tools that managers can use.

I believe that "Build Your Own Garage" is the first business book on creativity that really expresses the complexity of the creative process. Encouraging and managing creativity in a large organization is not a simple job. Schmitt and Brown approach the topic from different angles--analyzing the role of creativity in business organizations, detailing real-world examples of creative initiatives, and also offering creative "business parables" to show different facets of creativity in the workplace. (Look especially for the vampire story about "the Corporate Undead"!)

For all its quirkiness, "Build Your Own Garage" deals with corporate creativity in a down-to-earth way. This is not a giddy, dot-com, anything-goes approach to creativity. The book fully acknowledges the importance of business fundamentals and proposes a variety of realistic techniques to improve performance through creativity. Not surprisingly given Schmitt's background, the chapter on Branding is particularly strong.

"Build Your Own Garage" is a quick and enjoyable read that offers some useful insights into corporate creativity. I highly recommend it.

Excellent!
I found this book very fun, and very practical (an unusual combination!). The authors show how to make even an established legacy business more creative and dynamic. The book is timely, and applicable to the real-world, „post-interntet-boom era ˆ managers still need to bolster their bottom line with innovation. I‚ve ordered copies for all my line managers. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Alan G. Robinson and Sam Stern, university professors who have served as advisors on creativity to organizations around the world, believe that the proper combination of imagination and originality is what really pumps life into a company. In Corporate Creativity: How Innovation and Improvement Actually Happen, they cite numerous examples of its place in celebrated corporate success stories and suggest various ways that other firms can harness it. Focusing on six elements they see as essential to the process, the authors show how virtually any institution can work to encourage creativity within its ranks. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Pleasant read, Useful insights, Not too Practical.
A well written book with lots (maybe even too many) examples of unexpected creativity.

Boils down to 6 areas which you need to boost to increase creativity: corporate alignment, self-initiated activity, unofficial activity, serendipity, diverse stimuli, and within-company communication

The chapter on serendipity is not really convincing.

The book is rather short on practical advice. Provides a list of questions to help you 'start unleashing corporate creativity'. This is where the book is a bit of a let down.

Overall a pleasant read with useful insights.

Well written with interesting examples
Corporate Creativity is not an oxymoron. Robinson and Stern have written a good book that explores the key concepts that based on their work differentiate a creative organization from those that are not. The key steps the book expands on are that corporate creativity stems from: 1-Allignment 2-Self initiated activity 3-Unofficial activity 4-Serendipity 5-Deverse Stimuli 6-Within-company communication

While the book does a great job at exploring these concepts and gives excellent examples, what I found lacking was the "how-to" compontent.

As the author of Aha! - 10 Ways To Free Your Creative Spirit and Find Your Great Ideas, I am always looking for good books on the topic I am most passionate about. As far as creativity books, this one takes a unique perspective, the corporate rather than the individual. I applaud their work in this regard. Their examples are well-researched, and from a variety of industries.

If you are looking to dig deep into the field of organizational creativity, this is an excellent addition to your library.

Quite entertaining, not meant as a "how to"
The book is good for readability and wide ranging examples of creativity in action. But I found its gee-whiz diagnoses of why and how creativity occur are superficial. OK for a weekend reading and maybe idea generation, but not of much practical use.

"The Power of the Unexpected"
"Most companies are aware that their creative 'potential' greatly exceeds their creative 'performance.' The problem is that they don't know what to do about it. We believe that this potential cannot be realized until people recognize where it actually lies. Consider this. Most creative acts, as they now occur in companies, are not planned for and come from where they are least expected. It is impossible to predict 'what' they will be, 'who' will be involved in them, and 'when' and 'how' they will happen. This is the true nature of corporate creativity, and it is here that a company's creative potential really lies. For corporate creativity, the real power is in the unexpected" (from the Introduction).

In this context, in describing the corporate creativity, Alan G. Robinson and Sam Stern write that a company is creative when its employees do something new and potentially useful without being directly shown and taught. And they argue that in every unexpected creative act the following six essential elements are key to promoting consistent corporate creativity:

1. 'Alignment' is the degree to which the interests and actions of every employee support the organization's key goals. Strong alignment requires three things: *clarity about what the key goals of the organization are, *commitment to initiatives that promote the key goals, *accountability for actions that affect the key goals.

2. 'Self-initiated activity.' The majority of creative acts in companies are self-initiated, which explains why they are unanticipated by management. To promote it, companies only have to unleash what is already present. The key is an effective system for responding to employee ideas, which must have five characteristics. The system must: *reach everyone, *be easy to use, *have strong follow-through, *document ideas, *be based on intrinsic motivation.

3. 'Unofficial activity,' work done without direct official support, is what makes it possible for a company to go where it never expected to. Every unexpected creative act begins with a period of unofficial activity, which might be a matter of minutes or years.

4. 'Serendipity' combines a fortunate accident with sagacity. Fortunate accidents can be promoted through strategies that provoke and exploit accidents. Sagacity can be promoted by expanding the company's human potential beyond its immediate needs.

5. 'Diverse stimuli.' A stimulus can either push someone in a completely new direction or give that person fresh insight into what her or she has already set out to do. There are four strategies companies can use to promote diverse stimuli: *identify stimuli and provide them to employees, *rotate employees into every job they are capable of doing, *arrange for employees to interact with those outside the company who are likely to be the source of stimuli, *create opportunities for employees to bring into thr organization stimuli they get on their own.

6. 'Within-company communication.' Every company tries to ensure effective communication between employees who depend on each other to do their work. However, most organizations overlook the importance of unanticipated communication between employees who do not normally work together. And these exchanges of information often lead to unexpected creative acts. There are three ways a company can promote within-company communication: *provide opportunities for employees who do not normally interact with each other to meet, *ensure that every employee has a sufficient understanding of the organization's activities to be able to tap its resources and expertise, *create a new organizational priority: all employees should know the importance of being responsive to requests for information or help from other employees.

Finally, Robinson and Stern write that "If the six elements are implemented in your organization, its overall level of creativity will certainly rise. Use them yourself and you may very well find yourself in the middle of a creative act...Our journey led us to 'discover' the power of the unexpected. Your journey will lead you to 'realize' it."

Highly recommended.

A Good Reaf!
You can improve your company's performance by increasing creativity and fostering employee innovation. Most creative acts are unexpected. Therein lies your company's creative potential. A company is creative when its employees do something new and possibly useful without being directly shown or taught. Creativity can and should happen in every organization, including companies with highly standardized procedures. While creativity is intangible, you can see the results of it in your company's improvements and innovations.

The first five chapters provide an overview of creativity, outlining the six essential elements that creativity requires. In the following chapters, the authors detail the six elements, provide several case studies to illustrate their points and show how to achieve each aspect of creativity. This is a useful book for any executive who wants his or her company, and the people in it, to realize their full creative potential. We at getAbstract recommend this book to managers and executives in any industry. ... Read more

Book Description

"A good balance between theory and practice . . . it definitely fills a void in the [lack of] texts in the area and the change literature in general . . . a good fit for my graduate class on ‘Managing Organizational Change.’"

—Anthony F. Buono, McCallum Graduate School of Business, Bentley College

 

"Like Gareth Morgan’s Images of Organization, this book is a superb blend of theory and practicality. It demystifies chaos and paradox, and it encourages the understanding of organizational dynamics from multiple perspectives. It is refreshing to read a book that presents diverse theories and interventions so even-handedly."

—Andrea Markowitz, Ph.D., President, OB&D, Inc.

 

Learning to Change: A Guide for Organizational Change Agents provides a comprehensive overview of organizational change theories and practices developed by both U.S. and European change theorists. The authors compare and contrast five fundamentally different ways of thinking about change: yellow print thinking, blue print thinking, red print thinking, green print thinking and white print thinking. They also discuss in detail the steps change agents take, such as diagnosis, change strategy, the intervention plan, and interventions. In addition, they explore the attributes of a successful change agent and provide advice for career and professional development. The book includes case studies that describe multiple approaches to organizational change issues.

 

This book will appeal to both the practitioner and academic audiences. It can be used as a text in graduate courses in change management and will also be a useful reference for consultants and managers.

 

Features:

• Discusses the abilities, attitudes, and styles of successful change agents
• Describes five fundamentally different ways of thinking about change
• Presents a state-of-the-art overview of change management insights, methods, and instruments
• Summarizes an extensive amount of organizational change literature
• Supplies readers with useful insights and courses of action that will allow them to design and implement change professionally

 

Learning to Change became a bestseller upon its initial publication in the Netherlands. The color-model on change is very popular among thousands of managers and change consultants and presents a new approach to change processes and a new language for change.

Reviews (1)

Powerful metaphors`
The way colours are used to represent different approaches to change is a powerful metaphor. Combined with the models presented in the book this offers managers a guideline to succesfuly implement change. The plentiful notes in the book lead to more background reading material. Do not skip the introductory chapters, I found them very interesting. ... Read more

Book Description

Training is about improving overall organizational performance, and no individual is more accountable for a company's performancethan its CEO. It follows, then, that Workplace Learning and Performance professionals (a.k.a. trainers) must learn what chief executives hope to achievethrough their company's training efforts, and that they must satisfy the expectations of those executives and other key stakeholders.

What CEOs Expect From Corporate Training is based on extensive interviews with CEOs across a myriad of industries, and reflects their ideasabout how effective training can help achieve corporate objectives. To help readers apply these crucial insights to their own efforts, the authors havecreated a conceptual map of behaviors and relationships, plus a selection of practical worksheets, checklists, and other tools.

Unlike previous work based on what trainers believe they should be doing, What CEOs Expect From Corporate Training directly identifies thetraining imperatives defined by CEOs and the results they demand. ... Read more

Book Description

Scratch the surface of a lot of top-line corporation thinking and you will hear the words "core competencies" and "learning organization" used frequently. What it boils down to is the effort to figure out what you do best as an organization and how you make certain that the people working with you have the skills and knowledge that match what you do best. ... Read more

Book Description

Today's business environment is constantly changing: New customer requirements or products, an evolving competition, new IT solutions like EAI or web services, outsourcing opportunities or changing legal requirements are just a few reasons for this change. Therefore enterprises have to ensure an efficient and effective change management in order to stay competitive and survive on the long term. This is a precondition to achieve and maintain business process excellence.The book defines business process change management as information, communication, and training that enable people to make change and improvements happen. It shows using case studies from organizations like American Meter, the US Navy, or Amway how this change management is applied in practice using a framework like the ARIS House of Business Process Excellence or software tools like the ARIS Toolset.  ... Read more

Book Description

Does your business, like many of today's leading companies, make these dangerous competitive mistakes?

Take actions as if competitors did not exist

• Collect extensive competitor data but fail to convert it into insights about competitors' current and potential actions
• Fail to project competitors' likely strategies and moves
• Ask the wrong questions about the strategies and actions of current and emerging competitors
• Conduct competitor analysis separately from strategic thinking

To prepare your business for market rivalry in the twenty-first century you need an approach to competitor analysis and intelligence that far surpasses the best practices in most organizations today. You need Competitors.

In Competitors, international strategy guru Liam Fahey provides a new integrated, comprehensive method for analyzing the competition. Called competitor learning, the method is the product of Fahey's 15 years of consulting, researching, and teaching competitor analysis in cutting-edge companies in the United States and Europe. It combines a system for identifying critical competitor data with a series of analytical frameworks to help you develop powerful strategic insights.

Competitors shows you how to:

• Determine exactly what you need to know about competitors
• Describe and analyze competitors' marketplace strategy, alliances and networks, assumptions, assets, capabilities, and culture
• Project competitors' likely strategic moves and outcomes
• Draw critical inferences from limited data about competitors' goals, mindsets, and behaviors
• Use competitor analysis to anticipate changes in customers, channels, suppliers, competitive dynamics, and emerging markets
• Gain valuable insights into how and why your organization might win or lose as it competes against current or potential rivals
• Avoid typical errors associated with traditional competitor analysis

Competitors is an indispensable learning tool for managers who want to get ahead of the competition—both today and for the future. It teaches managers how to know their competition as thoroughly as they know their own organization, and how to use that knowledge to outwit, outmaneuver, and outperform rivals.

Praise for Competitors

"The best hope for a company is to be the first to read this book before its competitors do." —Philip Kotler, Professor of International Marketing, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University

"Liam Fahey has written the first richly textured, application-friendly and realistic book on what is often misnamed competitive intelligence . . . a masterful achievement by a power in competitive understanding." —Larry Prusak, Managing Principal, IBM Consulting Group and coauthor of Working Knowledge

"Fahey's Competitors is a lively, dynamic, major break from traditional 'static' strategic analyses. He provides a unique, pragmatic, entrepreneurial approach for seeing where competitors are going in the future—and how to preempt, reconceive or reshape the 'competitive domain' faster and better." —James Brian Quinn, author of Intelligent Enterprise and Innovation Explosion

"We have embraced Liam Fahey's competitor learning framework as the guiding methodology for understanding the current and emerging competition. Competitors is required reading for taking competitive analysis to the next level." —Benjamin R. Fisher, Jr., Director, Corporate Marketplace, PPG Industries, Inc.

"If I could have my way, this book would remain within the hands of a select few. . . armed with these tools, companies can be positioned to outwit, outmaneuver, and outperform their competitors." —Faye Brill, Director, Business Intelligence, Meritor Automotive, Inc. and former president, Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A disapointing book - Decepcionante.
I must confess that this has been one of the borest books I have ever read. Padded out with plenty of trivial ideas and lacking with something new. On the good side, it's an overview over most of the topics in competitor analysis but really heavy going to go through.

Comprehensive
This is by far the best book of its kind in that it provides a wealth of material on aspects of competitors and competition. Fahey's analytical methods are unique, and based on years and years of teaching and consulting. This one is both meatier and has better flow than some of his edited books or the Portable MBA edited volumes he has co-written. In reality, if this book is any indication, I'd like to see Fahey sole author more books.

The first four chapters constitute a framework for competitor learning. These chapters will be more appealing to academics than practitioners, alhtough practitioners will benefit from understanding the theory underlying his approach. Part 2 provides chapters on analyzing specific aspects of competition, and will be of greater benefit to practitioners.

Although I very much like the content of this book, it is not an "easy read" and must be digested slowly and carefully. Nevertheless, it is worth the effort. The only thing I would have liked more would be a practitioner-oriented, "how-to" approach to using some of the models and tools that Fahey illustrates in the last 11 chapters. Also, as in most any book of this type that has space and size limitations, the focus of the analysis will be on areas the author sees as important, while some other areas (such as customers, financials, accounting) will be necessarily excluded. Fahey's choices will certainly appeal more to the top decision-makers of organizations, and many of the CEOs I work with would benefit from exposure to this volume.

There is an assumption that the reader will have a substantial business schooling or experience background. If you do, you will appreciate this all the more. If you don't, I'd suggest you get one of Fahey's or other authors' Portable MBA series volumes first.

Great strategic value!
As an avid disciple of strategy and leadership, I find this book a valuable companion to Porter and Sun Tzu. Unlike many CI books which dwells heavily on the "tricks of the trade" and "checklists", Liam Fahey's work provides the reader a set of conceptual frameworks for appraoching the whole CI process. This leads to a better understanding of the competitive environment, its dynamics and opportunities to win. Mr Fahey's thoughts would make a great MBA course. But until then, this book gives the reader a first-mover advantage over those who are still in the dark ages of strategy and competitiveness.

An excellent addition to every strategist's bookshelf.
The author presents a system for identifying critical competitor data with a series of analytical frameworks to help develop strategic insights. This work is massive in scope and depth. It shows how to assess competitors and use this information to develop strategy. Fahey details how to gather information about every aspect of competitors. Each chapter ends with a brief, helpful summary. An excellent addition to every strategist's bookshelf. ... Read more

Book Description

Strategic Learning in a Knowledge Economy defines unique and powerful ways that organizations can foster learning at the individual, group and organizational levels, a capability critical to both strategic objectives and business performance. The book explains how individuals and organizations learn, clarifying cognitive and social aspects of the topic. Readers will understand how learning enables organizations and individuals to better create, assimilate, and transfer knowledge.

Strategic Learning in a Knowledge Economy helps managers create individual and collective processes that maximize the quality of the knowledge created and learned and ensures this knowledge is effectively used. The book appropriately redefines the frequently narrow and technology-oriented view of learning and explains how an effective learning strategy ensures that a broad base of employees learn and implement vital organizational lessons. Strategic Learning in a Knowledge Economy features focused discussions of organizational core competencies, learning and innovation, communities of practice, assessing organizational learning capabilities, and other important learning topics.

This authoritative compendium helps readers master organizational issues crucial in today's knowledge economy by:

Describing individual and collective learning processes crucial to knowledge management and business performance
Detailing the primary role of learning in fulfilling an organization's business strategy
Helping readers conceive structures and processes that optimize individual and group knowledge creation and sharing ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Useful Collection
This collection of 15 papers is written, with a few exceptions, primarily for an academic audience and to academic standards. Although it covers very similar territory to that in Sydänmaanlakka: An Intelligent Organization, it is much less approachable for the general managerial reader. On the other hand, the individual articles go into substantial depth, with a wealth of references. The collection will be valuable to Human Resource and Organizational Development practitioners.

Some of the articles are by 'great names' in the field including:

* Prahalad and Hamel on core competence
* Leonard-Barton (Leonard) on the factory as a learning laboratory
* Brown and Duguid on communities of practice
* Isaacs on dialogue and organizational learning
* Argyris on teaching smart people how to learn
* Kolb on the process of experiential learning. ... Read more

Book Description

A member of the PH OD Series! Organizational Learning IIexpands and updates the ideas and concepts of the authors' ground-breaking first book.With new examples and the most up-to-date informationon the technical aspects of organizational and management theory, Argyrisand Schon demonstrate how the research and practice of organizationallearning can be incorporated in today's business environment.Features chapters focused around the Introduction to Organizational Learning; Defensive Reasoning And The Theoretical Framework That Explains It; Inquiry-Enhancing Intervention and Its Theoretical Basis; and Strengths and Weaknesses Of Consultation and Research In The Field Of Organizational Learning. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Deep theories on learning in organizations
Individuals learn by absorbing new knowledge, finding ways to apply preexisting knowledge and to avoid tactics that fail. Organizational learning is much more complicated than that; it incorporates all of the learning tactics of individuals and includes the interactions of the people in the organization. The interactions are among peers, horizontally across different responsibility levels and longitudinally across time. However, the authors opt to use a fairly simple definition of organizational learning.

"Generically, an organization may be said to learn when it acquires information (knowledge,
understanding, know-how, techniques, or practices) of any kind and by whatever means. "

In this sense, learning can be in either the positive or negative sense, an organization can become either more or less efficient over time. The authors spend a great deal of time covering the concept of an undiscussable. An undiscussable is a topic where everyone knows that it exists, is probably a problem, but for some reason is not talked about. In the worst case, the undiscussables becomes undiscussable, meaning that you cannot even discuss the fact that there are things you don't discuss. There are many reasons for the development of an undiscussable, but the most common is the perception that higher levels only want to hear statements of a certain type.
The authors define two types of organizational learning: single and double loop. A single loop learning situation is one where strategies of action are changed, but there is no change in the underlying theory behind the actions. For example, suppose a company is convinced that hotels are needed in a particular area. If the hotel rooms do not fill up, then the company may try to change the style of the rooms. This is a single feedback loop, where the failure feeds back to cause a change in the implementation. A double loop learning situation is where there is a second feedback loop that can alter the theory behind the strategies. In the case of the hotel rooms example, this would mean that the company questions whether additional hotel rooms were needed.
The authors also define model I and model II learning. Model I learning is the most common, which has a single feedback loop. It is characterized by situations where emotions and confrontation are minimized or disallowed. When difficulties or conflict are present, the general reaction is to suppress the issues as much as possible. The definition of model II learning is:

"Model II couples articulateness and advocacy with an invitation to others to confront the views ands
emotions of self and other. It seeks to alter views in order to base them on the most complete and valid
information possible and to which people involved can become internally committed. "

Model II learning is characterized by double loop learning, where the positions people take are examined in the context of their emotional condition.
The book is occasionally very theoretical, which makes it dense and difficult reading. It is easy to state theories of feedback loops based on emotions, but it is hard to articulate an appropriate way to construct them. Humans have dealt with their emotions for thousands of years, and psychologists are still arguing over the best means by which we should deal with them. Nevertheless, there is much of value in this book, as long as you don't expect it to solve all of the problems your organization has in learning and executing different strategies.

Normative and practive-oriented organizational learning
The burgeoning literature that has grown up around organizational learning in the past twenty-five years is either uncritical (treats the phrase "learning organization" as a catchword for whatever it is the front-running Japanese or other organizations are doing and whatever the rest of the world needs to do to catch up with them) or distant from practice, skeptical and non-perspective.

In this book, the approach to organizational learning is normative and practice-oriented. The authors are mainly interested in productive organizational learning: how this kind of learning can be generated in real-world organizations and how practitioners can help to foster it.

The theory given in this book is primarily based on two types of learning: single-loop and double-loop. The authors have borrowed the distinction between single and double-loop learning from W. Ross Ashby's "Design for a Brain" (1960).

On case studies of known companies, such as Intel, General Motors, etc., the authors show "primary inhibitory loops" that inhibit organizational learning, and "conditions for error", and how to avoid them. The following list gives the most common "conditions for error" and how to avoid them:

- Vagueness : Specify
- Ambiguity : Clarify
- Untestability : Make testable
- Scattered information : Concert
- Information withheld : Reveal
- Undiscussability : Make discussable
- Uncertainity : Inquire
- Inconsistency/incompatibility: Resolve

In part I, the authors introduce the conceptual framework, both for organizational learning and for the relationship between research and practice. In part II, they introduce and illustrate concepts central to limited learning. Part III presents a brief classroom-based example. Part IV is the review of the recent history of the field of organizational learning.

Despite of the brilliant content, the book which is marked as "Reprinted with corrections August, 1996", which I have (paperback), is awfully printed. It is really the eye-killer. And nevertheless, it has some typos. Please try to find a version which is not "Reprinted with corrections August, 1996".

Definitive: how people politics stop organisational learning
This is the definitive book on how people politics preventorganisational learning, especially when a company needs a doubleturnround. That is a change of culture as well as strategy. Some of the early chapters are a bit heavily academic, but the pursuit is worthwhile if you want to understand how many big old western organisations stop working - instead of reinventing themselves - whenever a competitor dramatically changes the rules of the marketplace. The authors seem to imply that what they call double loop learning across every department of an organisation is both so laborious as a change process and requires such extraordinary levels of mutual trust that it might be better to raise an old organisation to the ground, and start from scratch. Their research is full of evidence why the last two decades have seen so much downsized leadership. One question that occurs to me is will their pessimistic conclusions hold true now that companies can use internal media like intranets to turn all employees' thinking around at the same time? If you would like to discuss this or other provocations relating to this work, I would be delighted to help form an interactive book discussion club.

Chris Macrae, editor of Brand Chartering Handbook and MELNET www.brad.ac.uk/branding/E-mail me atwcbn007@easynet.co.uk ... Read more

Download Description

Going the Distance identifies eight key obstacles to the long-term success of great businesses-and shows exactly how to overcome them. Former Cisco SVP Kevin Kennedy and leading consultant Mary Moore show how to assess corporate health and correct weaknes ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Very Useful in Everyday Business Life
Going the Distance is a practical guide to facing complex business challenges in today's environment. The book uses easy to understand examples and graphic images to illustrate principles discussed in the book. The eight predictable challenges outlined along with the diagnosis tools provide an excellent sanity check. Chapters 10 & 11, which center on corporate governance and board oversight are must reads for any CEO. I'm recommending it to all of my clients.

Shared Knowledge and Success
Kevin Kennedy and Mary Moore have put together a book that is interesting, thought provoking, and extremely knowledgable and comprehensive. Although the book uses high-tech examples, Kennedy successfuly makes a correlation to other industries helping the reader understand the in-depth information. Furthermore, there is a constant focus asking the reader to question their own business adventures. This allows them to gain insight and help improve their own businesses. The knowledge that Kennedy and Moore share is backed by years of experience and success in the business world and should be looked at carefully because it is very valuable.

Insightful
Going the Distance is an great guidebook for anyone in management. You'll understand the common traps, how to identify them and how to recover. What I like best is that the authors have years of real life experience in large corporations. They didn't just interview other people about what they have done, Kennedy and Moore have lived it. This is an excellent resource, especially in these economic times.

Great Source for Execs!
This book is an exceptional source of information for executives in high technology or any business. The authors elaborate on "Eight Predictable Challenges" consisting of four in execution - innovation, product transition, strategy and alignment and four in governance: developing a culture of learning, leadership DNA, effective governance systems and board of directors oversight. The book also includes an analysis of Cisco's acquisition logic, which I found very interesting.

I'm keeping this book on my shelf where I can refer to it often.

Going the Distance
The authors definitely "go the distance" ... in demonstrating that Scott Adams' cast of Dilbertian characters is still alive and well in Silicon Valley!! For example, Leadership DNA = authenticity + orientation to service + bias for learning. Please. Save your hard earned cash, and re-read a real leadership book like Giuliani's or Jack: Straight from the Gut. ... Read more

Book Description

Many organizations have seen dramatic improvements by implementing a Six Sigma system, including better efficiency, reduced errors, and increased profits. But for the individuals charged with implementing this system, it can be a long and arduous journey. The Six Sigma Path to Leadership: Observations from the Trenches was written to serve as a support guide for these individuals who may get lost or frustrated on their journey toward Six Sigma improvement. Author David Treichler has assembled a collection of stories showing how others handled these same situations, including the good and the bad with many how-to (and how-not-to) examples. The book is written for anyone – from senior management to the curious novice, with the intent to encourage and assist everyone, wherever they may be in their own Six Sigma journey.

The Six Sigma Path to Leadership is not intended to teach the specific tools or techniques of Six Sigma, but rather to inspire and motivate Six Sigma professionals to lead and teach others in the organization. The stories shared within will spark the readers’ imaginations and help them get the most out of their efforts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An informative support guide for corporate managers
Knowledgeably and deftly written by David H. Treichler (Master Expert at Raytheon Intelligence and Information Systems) with the assistance of Ronald D. Carmichael (Senior Manager for the Raytheon Company electronic Systems Group), The Six Sigma Path To Leadership: Observations From The Trenches is recommended as an informed and informative support guide for corporate managers seeking to improve company efficiencies, reduce errors, and increase bottom-line profits. Enhanced with a wealth of illustrative examples of what works and what doesn't, and showcasing lessons learned from hundreds of non-traditional applications and specific Six Sigma projects, The Six Sigma Path To Leadership is strongly recommended reading regardless of whether the reader is a novice to management or has worked their way up to senior level management positions of global responsibility. ... Read more

Book Description

Based entirely on original research, What's Your Corporate IQ? is the first of its kind to describe the interrelationships between corporate strategy, CEO attributes, leadership, values, and ethics.

In What's Your Corporate IQ?, Jim Underwood presents the results of a breakthrough study of 15 global competitors and determined that high-corporate-IQ companies consistently ranked among the top performers of their industries.Likewise, low-IQ companies ranked at the bottom of their industries.Just what is corporate IQ?Underwood describes it as the interrelationship between a firm's strategy, organization, character, and competitors.

In a reader-friendly style, Underwood profiles the high IQs of the "ten smartest companies in America."Underwood states that organizations using a clear-cut "people philosophy"-one that focuses on the long-term successof its people-strengthens a company's overall foundation.While taking a humorous look at some of the self-defeating practices managers employ to sabotage themselves, he uses the situations to point out that leaders who commit to good strategy have definite advantages over their competition,and statistics confirm that reality.What's Your Corporate IQ? outlines:
* The 17 corporate attributes that drive corporate success.
* The foundation for corporate success-three rules ofleadership and strategy.
* The power of significance building-an employee's basic desire to be recognized.
* Fifteen self-defeating habits of highly ineffective leaders.
* Measuring success on performance, not by financial quarters.
* Organization entrepreneurial support systems.
* Company character-values, people, ethics, and sustainability.
* Why initiatives for change fail or succeed onimplementation. ... Read more