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Boundaryless Organization : Breaking the Chains of Organization Structure

Name: Boundaryless Organization : Breaking the Chains of Organization Structure
Author: Ron Ashkenas
ISBN: 9780787959432

by Ron Ashkenas, Dave Ulrich, Todd Jick, Steve Kerr

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Overview

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.
Winner of the Executive Leadership Award

"If your organization is ready for transformation, The Boundaryless Organization will provide a simple but provocative framework either for getting started or for accelerating the pace."
— from the foreword by Lawrence A. Bossidy, chairman and CEO, Honeywell Corporation

"This is the best book on globalization and the seamless organization that I have read."
— David H. Komansky, chairman and CEO, Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.

"A very important contribution."
— from the foreword by C. K. Prahalad, coauthor of Competing for the Future

"Attacks the very core of traditional management structure, with all of its walls, boundaries, and limitations."
— Quality Progress

"Outlines how companies can make the change from rigid structures to ones where ideas, resources, and information can flow freely."
— HR Strategies & Tactics

"A refreshing guide to innovative ways to do business . . . . Each part includes a questionnaire that readers can use to determine where they stand on a continuum between boundaried and boundaryless status."
— Journal of Management Consulting

"Recommended reading."
— CIO

Synopsis

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

About the Author, Ron Ashkenas

Ron Ashkenas is a managing partner of Robert H. Schaffer & Associates in Stamford, Connecticut. A leading consultant to CEOs on organizational transformation, his articles have appeared in Harvard Business Review and other leading business publications. His clients have included General Electric, GlaxoSmithKline, the World Bank, and numerous other public and private sector firms.

Dave Ulrich is professor of business administration at the University of Michigan. He was named by Business Week as one of the world's top ten educators in management and the top educator in human resources.

Todd Jick, formerly a professor at Harvard Business School, is a managing partner with the Center for Executive Development in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has consulted with numerous companies in the United States and Europe including Merrill Lynch, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Novartis, and Cadbury Schweppes.

Steve Kerr is chief learning officer and a managing director of Goldman Sachs. A former dean at the University of Southern California and former professor of management at the University of Michigan, he was the first chief learning officer for General Electric.