Surfing the Edge of Chaos

Surfing the Edge of Chaos provides a bold new way of approaching the strategic challenges of today's business world, by showing that business parallels nature -- it is a nonstop battle between forces of tradition and forces of transformation. And the bottom line is: change or die.

Pioneering case studies of organizations such as Sears Roebuck and the U.S. Army illustrate the radical principle that only evolution prevents extinction, and that a smart business plan must mirror the way living systems operate if it is to achieve and sustain.

Richard T. Pascale is the coauthor of The Art of Japanese Management and author of Managing on the Edge. He has also written for the Harvard Business Review.

Mark Millemann has extensive experience working with CEOs and executive teams of companies around the world, including Sears, Hughes Space and Communications, BP Oil, Borg Warner Automotive, and the Illinois Power Company.

Linda Gioja has consulted with CEOs and executives at such companies as Allstate, Sears, and Hughes Space and Communications.

Management and the Scientific Renaissance

1

(18)

Part One

Equilibrium Is Death

19

(24)

Disturbing Equilibrium at Sears

43

(18)

Part Two

Surfing the Edge of Chaos

61

(16)

Monsanto: Walking on a Trampoline

77

(16)

Amplifiers, Dampers, and the Sweet Spot

93

(20)

Part Three

Self-Organization and Emergence

113

(16)

Self-Organization and the Corporation

129

(22)

Part Four

Disturbing Complexity

151

(20)

Herding Butterflies

171

(26)

Design for Emergence

197

(32)

The Extreme Sport of ``Discipline''

229

(34)

Reciprocity: Bringing Life to Organizations and Organizations to Life

263

(24)

Endnotes

287

(16)

Acknowledgments

303

(4)

Index

307

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Amazon no longer offers textbook rentals. We do!

Surfing the Edge of Chaos

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials