The Boundaryless Organization: Breaking the Chains of Organizational Structure (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership)

In 1995 The Boundaryless Organization showed companies how to sweep away the artificial obstacles-such as hierarchy, turf, and geography-that get in the way of outstanding business performance. Now, in this completely revised edition of their groundbreaking work, management experts Ron Ashkenas, Dave Ulrich, Todd Jick, and Steve Kerr offer an up-to-date version of their comprehensive guide to help any organization go "boundaryless"-and become a company with the ability to quickly, proactively, and creatively adjust to changes in the environment. With new examples, a new commentary on the developments of the last five years, and illuminating first-hand accounts from pioneering senior executives, the authors once again show why "boundaryless" is a prerequisite for any organization trying to succeed in the economy of the twenty-first century.

In the words of Jack Welch— the legendary former CEO of General Electric— today's organizations must become boundaryless if they are to be successful. In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of The Boundaryless Organization four of the management experts who helped GE create a boundaryless culture explain what it takes to make the boundaryless organization a reality. Drawing on both theory and practice, they show how to break through the four most common types of organizational boundaries-hierarchical (or vertical), functional (or horizontal), external, and geographic-to achieve the speed, flexibility, integration, and innovation needed to survive and thrive in today's business environment. Using examples from GE, Schwab, GlaxoSmithKline, and other successful companies, the authors demonstrate how the free flow of ideas, resources, and talent in and out of the organization, up and down the hierarchy, and across geographic boundaries can result in outstanding performance.

The Boundaryless Organization reveals how leaders can use four powerful levers to foster a shift from command and control methods to those that rely more on creating shared mind-sets, stretch goals, and empowered colleagues, including:

• Information-encouraging greater access to information across all boundaries
• Authority-giving people at different levels the power to make decisions
• Competence-helping people develop the skills they need to succeed
• Rewards-giving people the incentives to achieve shared organizational goals

With a focus on results, accountability, and tough decision-making, this new edition of The Boundaryless Organization shows why, more than ever, being boundaryless is an absolute requirement for organizational success in today's economy.

Soundview Executive Book Summaries

In a completely revised edition of their 1995 groundbreaking work The Boundaryless Organization, the authors offer new examples, fresh commentary about the developments of the last five years, and first-hand accounts from visionary senior executives - proof that boundaryless is a necessity for any company that wants to succeed in today's economy. Copyright (c) 2002 Soundview Executive Book Summaries

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