Corporation on a tightrope

the long version

Corporation on a Tightrope starts from the premise that there is no easy road to corporate success in an age of complexity. Enterprises that are determined to succeed must abandon hope of finding simple solutions in a world in which markets are global, hierarchies are disappearing in the face of advances in technology and the spread of computer networks, and information has become the most important natural resource. Instead of unworkable quick fixes, John G. Sifonis and Beverly Goldberg offer the reader advice based on more than forty years of study and hands-on experience with organizations of every kind. They look back at the history of the corporation and look ahead to the new science of complexity, presenting readers with the information needed to ensure that their organizations can do more than survive in the midst of the uncertainty that surrounds them. Their goal is to help thoughtful leaders create an enterprise that is flexible enough to maintain its balance on the tightrope between order (which can result in stagnation) and chaos (which may result in an inability to function). In that realm are found opportunities for growth without the kind of needless expansion that will cause turmoil when the world once again changes. The flexible organization of the future is a complex adaptive system that responds to the effects of market-driven changes on its three critical components - governance, technology, and leadership. It is an organization capable of self-renewal, constantly reshaping itself to seize opportunities as they emerge and quickly shrink when the market changes yet again.