Companies such as Pan Am provide classic case examples of failure. From examining such cases, current literature has identified four notable areas of failure within organizations. In addition, the authors carried out a survey on front-line supervisors and managers asking what factors they thought contributed to organizational failure. Six of the top causes of failure are presented.

A century ago, King Camp Gillette created a business cliche - and made a fortune - by practically giving away his products. Does his idea make any sense today?

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A few 'take-aways' from Lessons Learned from the Front Lines of Organization and Team Transformation and Coaching for High Performance with Dr. Peter Jensen and Jim Clemmer.

Now you see it. And then you don't. The emerging economy that will dominate the next century will be governed by a series of factors or "discontinuities" that managers need to prepare for.

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This article starts off with a dubious and unsupported rail against centralized organizations. Luckily, it soon changes gears and discusses high-performing organizations and the futility of searching for an ideal or perfect organizational structure (the structure must be appropriate for the organization's vision and values, goals and priorities, skill and experience levels, culture, team effectiveness, etc.) Some general trends that are emerging are discussed as well.

The battlefield of commerce is littered with companies that overemphasized sales growth beyond sustainable levels. Before you have a close encounter with Chapter 11, learn how to streamline your company's balance sheet for sustainable growth from the experts at Wharton and GE Capital.

Sure, you've heard of the waterfall development methodology and have probably used it (whether you knew it or not). But how is it used at the enterprise level? Here's a look at the process, typical deliverables, and what to expect from each step.

Emin Civi asks 'What is knowledge management?' and 'Why is it important?' and discusses issues associated with knowledge and identifies five general steps to knowledge management success.

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Peter Senge argues that it is no accident that most organizations are ‘poor learners'. The way organizations are designed and structured, the ways jobs are defined, and the way we have been taught to behave and think in organizations create fundamental learning disabilities. The disabilities persist in spite of the best efforts of intelligent and committed people. The learning that does take place occurs in spite of the undetected disabilities that pervade most organizations to some degree.
1. "I am my position"
2. "The enemy is out there"
3. "The illusion of taking charge"
4. "The fixation on events"
5. "The parable of the boiled frog"
6. "The delusion of learning from experience"
7. "The myth of the management team"

When Chrysler wanted to promote interest in its new stylized PT Cruiser, the company set up chat rooms and discussion boards on its own corporate website where customers could share information about the product and create that all important buzz. Yes, there are downsides to corporate chat rooms/discussion boards, but for certain companies the benefits can be substantial.

The use of electronic mail has grown exponentially in the last five years. When used properly, it is a very effective messaging and information medium. However, abuse of e-mail can be a significant risk to a company. Read about why an email policy is necessary and guidelines for establishing one.

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Core ideology, core values, core purpose, "big hairy audacious goals" and envisioned future - from an HBR feature by James Collins and Jerry Porras.

In "mergers of equals," target company CEOs frequently strike deals that benefit them personally but are not in the best interests of their shareholders, according to a new study by Wharton management professor Julie Wulf. Her analysis of 40 mergers of equals that took place during the 1990s includes explanations for the lower returns as well as a way to prevent their recurrence.

There is strong theoretical support for the idea that flatter structures, organized around work processes rather than functions, may be better positioned to understand customer needs and deliver appropriate brand propositions. There is, though, little empirical evidence identifying which structures best enable companies to do this. This article takes a look at Philippa Hankinson's study comparing the organizational structures of companies taken from the World's Top 100 brands (as defined by Interbrand) with those of companies whose brands, though well known, failed to meet the Top 100 criteria. The results cast some doubt on the received wisdom that rigid, hierarchical, top-down structures are less successful than flatter, more horizontally-integrated ones.

This transcript of a presentation by Denis Nayden of GE Capital discusses how that organization approaches e-business. Offers some interesting insight into large businesses or "titans" and the e-world.

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What if you could give your organization the gift of a magnificent and promising future while also discovering a way for all of its stakeholders to be satisfied in the process? To do so means implementing a new and broader approach that builds on the foundation of an effective organization, namely, its mission and its values. Rather than focusing solely on results, winning companies first emphasize values --- the beliefs, attitudes and feelings that top management has about employees, customers, quality, ethics, integrity, social responsibility, growth, stability, innovation, and flexibility. Managing by values, not by profits, is a powerful process that will set your organization on the path to becoming what I call a "Fortunate 500" company.

The market for lending equities is obscure and privately negotiated, but the benefits are substantial, according to Wharton finance professors Christopher Geczy and David Musto and Wharton doctoral student Adam Reed. In the article below, reprinted from the Financial Times' Mastering Investment series, the three authors discuss short-selling in equity lending, short selling of IPO stocks and the legal issues of shorting.

While change management depends on leadership to be enacted, to date there has been little integration of these two bodies of literature. The key role leaders play in the change process has been noted by change theorists, yet there is no conclusive research that focuses on this relationship between leadership and change. Recent theoretical research has attempted to integrate change as a contextual variable influencing transformational leadership. Such research focuses on determining when organizations will be more receptive to transformational leadership and the match between receptivity level and the actual transformational leadership process. However, this research does not address the issue of the capabilities of transformational leaders required to carry out the pertinent change process. Thus, the purpose of this article is to draw parallels between the change literature and the leadership literature; specifically, the transformational leadership literature that is primarily concerned with the capabilities required to enact change successfully. First, we will describe the latest literature relating to change management. Next, we will review theories of change oriented leadership. Finally, we will integrate these literatures and link them to the articles that comprise this special issue.

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The actions of the CEO in the first few weeks surrounding a merger can determine success or failure. There are a lot of minefields out there. How can you navigate through them and emerge a winner? Merger integration is not a simple process, but there are a few principles that can help you drive the process through to a successful conclusion.

As the once-fragmented banking industry continues the consolidation that began a decade and a half ago, what has been the impact of bank mergers on consumers? Are they finding higher fees and fewer free services, or lower interest rates and more service options? Some experts offer their opinions.

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True, the cause of corporate death is most often written in terms of finance, markets, strategy, productivity, tactics. Occasionally embezzlement or blatant error. But the real reasons, the underlying conditions that made the company weak, are most often found in the spirit of the company where the hidden corporate killers lurk. Fortunately, indications of problems can be detected long before anything shows on the bottom line. These indications fall into two broad divisions: Early Warning Signs/Symptoms (EWS) and Leading Performance Drivers (LPD). This article offers sample questions of each.

As more companies outsource non-core activities and enter into alliances to extend their competitive reach, the risk that someone - a potential partner or vendor - could poach their intellectual property is increasing. While the risk of such theft is hardly new, it is rapidly becoming a serious problem in today's post-industrial, information-driven society. Wharton's Eric K. Clemons and Lorin M. Hitt have been studying the issue. Clemons presented the major elements of this research at a recent conference..

Athletes and actors have known for years about the value of coaching in improving performance. Now more and more individuals are turning to coaches to help guide them through the increasing complications of day-to-day life and business.

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Is there anything you can do to turn your managers into leaders? One strategy might be to seek guidance from those being led. This article offers a survey to do just that.

Charles Handy discusses the increasing segregation of the working world into large organizations and independent workers and the associated implications. Also discussed is America's optimistic spirit.

Editor's Note: See related article at:
http://www.mbadepot.com/redir.php?ID=1953&file=links