Transforming Organizations

by Thomas A. Kochan, Michael Useem

Overview

This book examines how organizations can, and should, transform their practices to compete in a world economy. Research results from a multi-disciplinary team of MIT researchers, along with the experiences and insights of a select group of industry practitioners, are integrated into a model that stresses the need for systemic and transformative rather than piecemeal or incremental changes in organization practices and public policy. This integration of research and experience results in an argument for a new organizational learning model—one capable of gaining advantage from employee diversity, cooperation across organizational boundaries, strategic restructuring, and advanced technology. The book begins with a foreword by Lester C. Thurow.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195065046
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/06/1992
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.56(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

University of Pennsylvania

Table of Contents

Introduction1. Achieving Systemic Organizational Change, Thomas A. Kochan and Michael UseemI. Strategic restructuring2. Japan's Version of Managerial Capitalism, Ronald Dore3. The Political Embeddedness of Industrial Change: Corporate Restructuring and Local Politics in Contemporary Italy, Richard M. Locke4. Corporate Restructuring and Organizational Behavior, Michael Useem5. The Effect of Changes in Corporate Control on Firm Performance, Paul M. Healy6. The Role of the CEO in the Management of Change: The Case of Information Technology, Edgar H. Schein7. Strategic Alignment: A Model for Organizational Transformation Through Information Technology, John C. Henderson and N. Venkatraman8. Technological Change and the Management of Architectural Knowledge, Rebecca M. HendersonII. Using human resources for strategic advantage9. Using Human Resources in Skill Formation: The Role of Training, Lisa M. Lynch10. Cross-Functional Teams: Blessing or Curse for New Product Development?, Deborah Gladstein Ancona and David E. Caldwell11. Human Resources, Organizational Governance, and Public Policy: Lessons from a Decade of Experimentation, Thomas A. Kochan and Robert B. McKersie12. Changing the Conditions of Work: Responding to Increasing Work Force Diversity and New Family Patterns, Lotte BailynIII. Using technology for strategic advantage13. Integrating Technology and Human Resources for High-Performance Manufacturing: Evidence from the International Auto Industry, John Paul MacDuffie and John F. Krafcik14. Managing the Introduction of New Process Technology: An International Comparison, Marcie J. Tyre15. Organizational Change and the Internationalization of R&D, D. Eleanor Westney16. The Effects of Information Technology on Management and Organizations, Michael S. Scott Morton17. Organizational Change and Decision Making About New Technology, Robert J. ThomasIV. Redesigning organizational structures and boundaries18. Work, Labor, and Action: Work Experience in a System of Flexible Production, Michael J. Piore19. Informal Information Trading Between Firms, Stephan Schrader20. Strategic Alternatives for Technology-Based Product and Business Development, Edward B. Roberts21. Systems Thinking and Organizational Learning: Acting Locally and Thinking Globally in the Organization of the Future, Peter M. Senge and John D. StermanV. Leadership and change: the practitioners' perspective22. A CEO's Perspective, Raymond Stata23. A Labor Leader's Perspective, Donald EphlinConclusion24. Creating the Learning Organization, Michael Useem and Thomas A. KochanContributors and ParticipantsIndex

Editorial Reviews

"A timely contribution. Most major corporations are grappling with the issues discussed in this book. It provides a wealth of good ideas and real experience. I highly recommend it."— Paul A. Allaire, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Xerox Corporation

"At a time when corporations are undergoing a paradigmatic change in organizing and managing people, this book makes an important contribution to out understanding of that change. It contains many new and diverse insights which together provide a comprehensive and systematic perspective of the corporate transformation taking place....[T]his book joins many of the omprtant issues which managers and academicians must come to understand if a new and more adaptive learning organization is to emerge."—Michael Beer, Harvard Graduate School of Business

"Transforming Organizations reports an especially wide ranging perspective on systematic organization change. This multi-faceted project has been able to effectively link economic, strategic, organizational, technological, and ouman resource management issues as they relate to organization learning. Ideas in this book will be of importance for any student or manager."—Michael Tushman, Columbia University Graduate School of Business

"This [is a] very insightful book....The belief that the process of change is elusive and difficult to manage makes the collection of lessons presented in this book extremely useful. The scope of Transforming Organizations is quite broad, and it should be very helpful to anyone who has to deal with the process of organizational change."—Paul Lego, Chair, Westinghouse Electric Corporation

"It is rare to read a book, like this one, in which all the contributions are excellent....Each is full of food for thought. The authors go to the heart of the most difficult issues and their analyses are crisp and tight....The book helped me to reflect, to agree, and to disagree. I recommend the book."—Chris Argyris, Sloan Management Review

From the Publisher