The real benefit of initiating a ‘bottom-up’ organizational approach is that it generates the strategic flexibility and initiative needed to cope with the turbulent business environment. As the future changes and their implications are difficult to predict, the best way to cope is to have an organizational structure that can adapt and respond to changes in the world at large. There are certain very important characteristics of the ‘bottom-up’ organization – its people work in teams in a delayered structure i.e. non-hierarchical; its people also have a shared vision of the direction for the company; it also places great emphasis on knowledge and organisational learning and how this is passed through the company. These characteristics can produce a tremendous amount of energy and vitality which can then be harnessed into truning the company into a success. The energy created by this type of structure can be destructive though, if not harnessed properly, and these pitfalls are also highlighted.
Book Details:
- Author: Paul Strebel
- ISBN: 9780470362884
- Year Published: 2000
- Pages: 316
- BISAC: BUS019000, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS/Decision-Making & Problem Solving
About the Book and Topic:
The real benefit of initiating a ‘bottom-up’ organizational approach is that it generates the strategic flexibility and initiative needed to cope with the turbulent business environment. As the future changes and their implications are difficult to predict, the best way to cope is to have an organizational structure that can adapt and respond to changes in the world at large. There are certain very important characteristics of the ‘bottom-up’ organization – its people work in teams in a delayered structure i.e. non-hierarchical; its people also have a shared vision of the direction for the company; it also places great emphasis on knowledge and organisational learning and how this is passed through the company. These characteristics can produce a tremendous amount of energy and vitality which can then be harnessed into truning the company into a success. The energy created by this type of structure can be destructive though, if not harnessed properly, and these pitfalls are also highlighted.
Every year, nearly 4,000 executives attend one of the 21 Executive Development Programs or tailored Partnership Programs. The Executive Development Programs are the courses that this book is most closely aligned to. The Programs are designed for executives at every stage in their careers, in a wide range of positions and almost every type of company. The courses draw heavily on original IMD research material and force attendees to develop their personal competencies as well as abandon outmoded procedures that may be established in their companies. The Executive Development Programs include: TOP MANAGEMENT FORUMS – intensive 2-day programs that bring together executives at the very senior level of management. Courses may include topics such as Creating Value Through the Board, Creating Rapid Internal Growth or a CEO Roundtable. GENERAL MANAGEMENT COURSES – ranges from 2 week courses to 2 modules of 1 month each. These are designed for executives who have reached a decisive stage in their careers, and prepares them to move forward. Course subjects include Re-difining the Senior Manager’s Agenda, Sharpening Skills for Business Unit Management, Preparing Fast-Moving Managers for the Next Big Step, and Developing Young Managers with High Potential. LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY – 4-day to 1 week Theme-based programs examining the challenges of management in a range of specific contexts including Orchestrating Winning Performance, Leading the Family Business, Leading Corpporate Renewal, Mobilizing People, Accelerating International Growth or a Joint Development Program. PROCESS AND FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT – approx 12 day courses. Each program examines the challenges of managing a specific function, then helps participants expand their perspective from a narrow functional view to include the broader issues of contributing to the overall strategy of the company. Topics include Managing for Marketing Success, Transforming the Manufacturing Enterprise, The Key to Customer Satisfaction, Managing the Innovation Process and Strategic Finance. The above gives an idea of the approaches to some of the key management issues that IMD advocates and will be paralleled in the IMD book series. The research for this book comes from the many thousands of business managers and executives that have attended these courses, and has evolved from their experiences. This ensures that the book is firmly rooted in the world of generating real business value. The book also draws on a major study currently being conducted by IMD in association with Andersen Consulting to examine senior managers’ perspectives on how to leverage information and IT to achieve superior business performance.
Drawing on the expertise of the management specialists in one of Europe’s premier executive business schools, the International Institute of Management Development (IMD), this book details the important characteristics of the “bottom-up” organization and explains how to harness them to invest new energy and vitality in the corporation. * Contributions from a wide range of expertise across different faculties within IMD give the book a broad approach and appeal. * Covers such issues as working in teams in a delayered structure; building a shared vision; passing knowledge through the company; and avoiding the pitfalls inherent in this type of structure. * Includes original IMD research and case studies, many not available elsewhere.
About the Author
Paul Strebel, International Institute of Management Development (IMD), Lausanne, Switzerland IMD is an independent not-for-profit foundation based in Switzerland. It was set up over 50 years ago by a few leading corporations to address the real challenges that leading managers face in everyday business. Since then, IMD has been working closely with businesses to develop people through a number of different courses at Executive and MBA level. IMD takes a ‘Real World. Real Learning’ approach that combines academic rigour with practical solutions. IMD is a truly international school, with faculty from 18 countries, close links with over 130 corporations worldwide, and was ranked in Business Week and the US News & World Report in 1997 as one of the world’s most eminent business schools.