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International review of strategic management
128
L o n g R a n g e P l a n n i n g Vol. 23
O c t o b e r 1990
Megatrends 2000, JOHN NAISBIT[ and PATRICIANABURDENE, Sidgwick & Jackson (1990), 338 pp., £15.00. The successor to Megatrends, published in 1982, which sold 8 million copies worldwide. In this volume the authors argue that ten main trends are transforming the world, namely: A booming global economy; a renaissance in the arts; the emergence of free-market socialism; global lifestyles and cultural nationalism; the privatization of the welfare state; the rise of the Pacific Rim; the decade of women in leadership; the age of biology; the religious revival of the New Millenium and the triumph of the individual. The theme is optimistic, with the economic boom leading to higher evolution and global affluence, and that 'wealth is a great peacemaker'. Although widely acclaimed it could be argued that the analysis is somewhat superficial, with insufficient attention given to the greater divisions between the rich and poor, both within and between countries; also ecology ('Green') issues surely deserve to be listed in the top ten 'trends'. In addition, the coming revolution in office work is only considered implicitly. Overall a useful starting point for further discussion, but certainly not the last word.
The Organization of Hypocrisy, Nits BRUNSSON,John Wiley (1990), 242 pp., £29.95. Hypocrisy--the practice of incorporating different structures, processes and ideologies for internal and external use is an important feature of viable organizations in modern societies. The author concludes that: 'The maintenance of high values cannot be adequately reflected in action. 'The maintenance of high values involves sin (i.e. a discrepancy between values and actions). And if norms which are not or cannot be adapted to action are to be advocated, some hypocrisy is called for. Sin and hypocrisy are necessary to the creation and preservation of high morals. Those without sin or hypocrisy are those who pursue or advocate realizable goals, trading in their morality in exchange . . . Maintaining high values, accepting responsibilky and producing hope are no mean tasks, surely as significant to society as producing organized action. The vital question then, is whether we have not let our organizations and their leaders become too important, too "crucial" to society as a whole and to us personally.' The subtle ideas are not easy to translate (from the Swedish) and perhaps using the word 'hypocrisy' itself creates false expectation. The book will only appeal to those with a special interest in the subject.
International Review of Strategic Management, Volume 1, 1990, Edited by D. E. HussEv, John Wiley (1990), 331 pp., £50.00. This is the first in a series of annual volumes which will provide a critical review of developments and best practice in strategic management. The aim, over time, is to cover all aspects of strategic management, and to record major changes and advances. Each volume will reflect the state of the art in the topics covered, explore different aspects of a theme related to strategy, and identify trends and important topics. Collectively the series will be an authoritative review of the whole field of strategic mananagement. The first volume concentrates on the theme of building competitive advantage, although other topics are also included. Authoritative surveys of this kind are badly needed; they are the only way to keep up the changes going on in the dynamic area of strategic planning.
Managing Corporate Culture, I~ONNIE LESSEM, Gower (1990), 231 pp., £32.00. Using case material from Britain and the United States, the author illustrates the four major approaches to managing cultural change available to managers today: The Primal Culture--best illustrated by the pioneering enterprise and the American West; The Rational Culture~that of the established organization and the European North; The Development Culture--the transnational organization of the Japanese East; and finally, The Metaphysical Culture--the truly global organization of the Developing South. Life-cycle analysis is considered the key by many and, perhaps, this is underemphasized by Lessem; but he is a highly readable and provocative writer.
Dynamic Strategic Managementfor the 1990s, RALPHD. STACEY, Kogan Page (1990), 224 pp., £27.50. The author explores the current conflict between those who see strategic management as a rational planning process and those who believe it is intuitive and experimental. He believes the solution lies in finding a dynamic balance between these two approaches and provides practical guidelines for resolving the tension between them. Managers and/or strategic planners would find the book an excellent and readable vehicle for revision or new revelations. The final eighteen recommendations contain much good sense. Implementation is frequently the key, but that word was not used either in the recommendations, or the index.
High Involvement Strategic Planning: When People and their Ideas Really Matter, ROBERT COPE, Blackwell (1990), 125 pp., £25.00. Essentially a monograph from The Planning Forum, this short readable study distills the author's wide experience as a strategic planning consultant to business corporations and universities, and as professor and administrator at several universities in the U.S. and elsewhere. It reflects an innovative approach to planning that emphasizes the importance of people. Too frequently strategic planning is seen as a technical process. A book that deserves to be widely read by strategic planners and chief executives.
Japan at Work: Markets, Management and Flexibility, RONALD DORE, JEAN BOUNINE-CABALE and KARITAPIOLA, OECD (1989), 91 pp., FF70. An analysis of the mechanisms and evolution of flexibility in Japanese labour markets, which considers the dynamic process whereby workers and organizations adapt to new technology, evolving markets and other changes. It emphasizes the diversifing firm, the role of training and the learning environment of the form. The study tends to over-emphasize the role of lifetime employment 'commitment' and under-
L o n g R a n g e P l a n n i n g Vol. 23
O c t o b e r 1990
Megatrends 2000, JOHN NAISBIT[ and PATRICIANABURDENE, Sidgwick & Jackson (1990), 338 pp., £15.00. The successor to Megatrends, published in 1982, which sold 8 million copies worldwide. In this volume the authors argue that ten main trends are transforming the world, namely: A booming global economy; a renaissance in the arts; the emergence of free-market socialism; global lifestyles and cultural nationalism; the privatization of the welfare state; the rise of the Pacific Rim; the decade of women in leadership; the age of biology; the religious revival of the New Millenium and the triumph of the individual. The theme is optimistic, with the economic boom leading to higher evolution and global affluence, and that 'wealth is a great peacemaker'. Although widely acclaimed it could be argued that the analysis is somewhat superficial, with insufficient attention given to the greater divisions between the rich and poor, both within and between countries; also ecology ('Green') issues surely deserve to be listed in the top ten 'trends'. In addition, the coming revolution in office work is only considered implicitly. Overall a useful starting point for further discussion, but certainly not the last word.
The Organization of Hypocrisy, Nits BRUNSSON,John Wiley (1990), 242 pp., £29.95. Hypocrisy--the practice of incorporating different structures, processes and ideologies for internal and external use is an important feature of viable organizations in modern societies. The author concludes that: 'The maintenance of high values cannot be adequately reflected in action. 'The maintenance of high values involves sin (i.e. a discrepancy between values and actions). And if norms which are not or cannot be adapted to action are to be advocated, some hypocrisy is called for. Sin and hypocrisy are necessary to the creation and preservation of high morals. Those without sin or hypocrisy are those who pursue or advocate realizable goals, trading in their morality in exchange . . . Maintaining high values, accepting responsibilky and producing hope are no mean tasks, surely as significant to society as producing organized action. The vital question then, is whether we have not let our organizations and their leaders become too important, too "crucial" to society as a whole and to us personally.' The subtle ideas are not easy to translate (from the Swedish) and perhaps using the word 'hypocrisy' itself creates false expectation. The book will only appeal to those with a special interest in the subject.
International Review of Strategic Management, Volume 1, 1990, Edited by D. E. HussEv, John Wiley (1990), 331 pp., £50.00. This is the first in a series of annual volumes which will provide a critical review of developments and best practice in strategic management. The aim, over time, is to cover all aspects of strategic management, and to record major changes and advances. Each volume will reflect the state of the art in the topics covered, explore different aspects of a theme related to strategy, and identify trends and important topics. Collectively the series will be an authoritative review of the whole field of strategic mananagement. The first volume concentrates on the theme of building competitive advantage, although other topics are also included. Authoritative surveys of this kind are badly needed; they are the only way to keep up the changes going on in the dynamic area of strategic planning.
Managing Corporate Culture, I~ONNIE LESSEM, Gower (1990), 231 pp., £32.00. Using case material from Britain and the United States, the author illustrates the four major approaches to managing cultural change available to managers today: The Primal Culture--best illustrated by the pioneering enterprise and the American West; The Rational Culture~that of the established organization and the European North; The Development Culture--the transnational organization of the Japanese East; and finally, The Metaphysical Culture--the truly global organization of the Developing South. Life-cycle analysis is considered the key by many and, perhaps, this is underemphasized by Lessem; but he is a highly readable and provocative writer.
Dynamic Strategic Managementfor the 1990s, RALPHD. STACEY, Kogan Page (1990), 224 pp., £27.50. The author explores the current conflict between those who see strategic management as a rational planning process and those who believe it is intuitive and experimental. He believes the solution lies in finding a dynamic balance between these two approaches and provides practical guidelines for resolving the tension between them. Managers and/or strategic planners would find the book an excellent and readable vehicle for revision or new revelations. The final eighteen recommendations contain much good sense. Implementation is frequently the key, but that word was not used either in the recommendations, or the index.
High Involvement Strategic Planning: When People and their Ideas Really Matter, ROBERT COPE, Blackwell (1990), 125 pp., £25.00. Essentially a monograph from The Planning Forum, this short readable study distills the author's wide experience as a strategic planning consultant to business corporations and universities, and as professor and administrator at several universities in the U.S. and elsewhere. It reflects an innovative approach to planning that emphasizes the importance of people. Too frequently strategic planning is seen as a technical process. A book that deserves to be widely read by strategic planners and chief executives.
Japan at Work: Markets, Management and Flexibility, RONALD DORE, JEAN BOUNINE-CABALE and KARITAPIOLA, OECD (1989), 91 pp., FF70. An analysis of the mechanisms and evolution of flexibility in Japanese labour markets, which considers the dynamic process whereby workers and organizations adapt to new technology, evolving markets and other changes. It emphasizes the diversifing firm, the role of training and the learning environment of the form. The study tends to over-emphasize the role of lifetime employment 'commitment' and under-