Articles - Corporate Culture and Value Systems
Review articles on Corporate Culture and Value system.
| Articles | Short Reviews |
|---|---|
| Adaptors and Innovators (Cognitive Style and Personality) Michael J. Kirton Frontiers of Creativity Research The Hatfield Polytechnic Institute Pages 282-304 |
Kirton reports valuable research on the different styles of innovation. This work is important for all managers trying to enhance innovation in an organization and to build creative and effective teams to implement new ideas. |
| Bringing Silicon Valley Inside Gary Hamel Harvard Business Review September-October 1999 Pages 71-84 |
Again Gary Hamel challenges us to look at corporate management through another lens. This time he writes about corporate entrepreneurship requiring a shift from resource allocation to resource attraction. Another way to interpret these ideas is to consider how private equity financing models can be applied to corporate risk management. |
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Disruptive Change (When Trying Harder is Part of the Problem) |
This article shows why responding to external challenges as threats, rather than opportunities, can lead to poor decisions. A thought provoking article taking a different angle to the disruption arguments associated with Christensen. |
| High Stakes, Big Bets Bill Breen Fast Company April 2002 Pages 66-78 |
This reports how Lockheed-Martin beat favorite Boeing in winning a $200bn contract. It presents good lessons to be learned in corporate risk-taking and breaking down internal barriers to decision making. |
| How Intel Puts Innovation Inside (What Happens When Your Organization's Bedrock Ideas for Growth and Innovation Just Aren't Working Anymore? That is One Scary Place to Be) George Anders Fast Company March 2002 Pages 122-124 |
Insights into how Intel manages innovation in a holistic way are presented. |
| Kodak to Reorganize its Business Again John Hechinger The Wall Street Journal Section B12 Thursday, November 15, 2001 |
Kodak's struggle to manage a way through the disruption of digital technology and a "heritage-driven" culture makes an interesting case. We continue to monitor the progress. |
| Perspectives on the Theory of Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship in the Global Firm Scope Press 2000 Pages 65-82 |
This chapter expands the theory of entrepreneurship to the global enterprise. Of particular interest is the evidence that there is greater risk-taking in remote subsidiaries as they respond to local market challenges; projects however must be hidden from headquarters management until they are successful. Innovation flourishes remotely and can then benefit the corporation overall—the ultimate skunk works! |
| The Anxiety of Learning Diane L. Coutu Harvard Business Review March 2002 Pages 100-106 |
An interview with the eminent psychologist Edgar Schein on why it is so difficult to build a learning organization, this is a stimulating read. |
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This Company Doesn't Brake for (Sacred) Cows |
This presents the turnaround at Mitel when new management killed the sacred cows and focused the company. It is a good example of founders staying too long and newcomers needed to get discipline back. The lessons for risk management are hinted at; namely cultivate lots of ideas and minimize risk by killing the bad ones quickly. It is the VC model applied to corporate risk. |
| The Dilemma of the "Innovator's Dilemma" Peter Cohan The Industry Standard January 10, 2000 |
This is the other side of Christensen's arguments regarding disruptive technologies. Cohan points out that the difference between companies that can and cannot manage change well is related more to their corporate culture and leadership than anything inherent in corporate feedback mechanisms. |
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The Innovative Organization (Why New Ventures Need More than a Room of their Own) 2001 Number 2 |
This is a case study of how Nokia balances internal needs against new opportunities. Some interesting insights are contained in this McKinsey promotional piece. |
| Why the Behemoths Fell (Psychological Roots of Corporate Failure) Harry Levinson The Levinson Institute, Inc. American Psychologist May 1994 Vol. 49, No. 5 Pages 428-436 |
Dr. Levinson explores the relationship between rigid corporate cultures, resultant corporate failure and the psychological status of key decision makers. The topic of data denial resonates with many of the recent failures we have seen. |