by Paul R. Kleindorfer; Yoram (Jerry) Wind; Robert E. Gunther
Publisher: Wharton School Publishing
Pub Date: June 16, 2009
Print ISBN-10: 0-13-701191-1
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-13-701191-9
Web ISBN-10: 0-13-702286-7
Web ISBN-13: 978-0-13-702286-1
Pages: 592
Review :
This book has a lot of authors, many from Business schools and such. Many times I find such books to be fairly disjoint and/or repetitive. After reading the outline of the book I decided to just try reading one chapter to start with (Ch18) which was ok but not cause for any major reflections on my part. Networks is such a general construct that to have a book that covers this range of network topics doesnt seem to be real useful to me. I don’t see reading the rest of the book.
What i took Away from Book :
Read this book with safari online.
Reding the outline of book looks like potentially a lot of fluff or repetitive mgmt stories from fat earth and such.
* Ch18 : Author’s may not be aware at places like Cisco IM is already integrated into work place. During typical work day I have IM windows up all day long and there is often lots of coordination of short (5) minute face-face on point issues, there is resolving of questions, approval/informational IM’s and seeking of information to help close a topic at a meeting to minimze the # of topics that are taken offline or require followup. A good meeting has couple concrete decisions, couple actions, and resolves as much as possible.
– One interesting thought is vast majority of my work IM is one-one. Occasionaly at a key customer meeting (teleconference or TP, usually not face-face), there might be a group IM, but otherwise 1:1. Usually mutliparty IM might move to email (or just too much effort to set up)
❑Looked into book : X-Teams : there is book on this by Ancona and Bresman 2007),
Book Notes :
* Intro
– Based on first few pages network for this book is meant to include internet, the applications on internet, and the general abstract notion (Flat earth) that everyone and companies are closer toogether with more communication then ever before.
– consumers have more information flow, facebook and such
* Bookoutline
+ Part I : innovation moving from firms to the network, examples in medical, challenges in knoledge mgmt, leadership in global enterprise,
+ Part II : power shifts from firms to networks, biological networks and lessons to learn
+ Part III : how to tap into global brain for innovation, complex products like planes/auto designed by network of team that are difficult to coordinate
+ Part IV : agent based simulation to understand networks, airbu/boeing using technology to coordinate wide supply networks, marketing with social networks, networks can be antennae to scan peripheral information and gather inteligence
+ Part V : orchestration of suppliers to allow ‘Li & Fung’ to be top global contract manufacturer without owning a single factory, I generation (Ch 18), HR reruiting and such in networked world, alliances between companies,
+ Part VI : global financial risks in ineterlinked world, airline security is only effectve as weakest link, logistical planning, telecom battles ATT Vs Google, political/social issues (Oil drilling)
+ Part VII ; global terrorism, disease spread in global world,
* CH18 Managing the Hyper-Networked “IM” Generation
– this chapter written by a computer scientist (Wharton), anthropologist, undergrad
– notes that for youth today IM can allow for more real time herding behavior, what is impact at work place when IM real time behavior becomes predominant ?
– Trends based on survey noted are that younger employees have better access to information, have better analytical tools (spreadsheet), have less confidence in information supplied by their company (drop)
– Younger emplolyess view their direct boss rules with authority (i.e. real knowledge and decision making) and boss of the boss is viewed as leading based on hierarchy, which book asserts allows young employees to place loyalty with their boss but avoid loyalty to their company
– X-Teams : there is book on this by Ancona and Bresman 2007), teams that are creative and can exisit within an orgainzation and sometimes outside the organization. Reduces company centric affiliation,
– Recommendations to deal with next generation of work force :
+ let networks self organize
+ open question how to handle networks that extend outside the company (IP issues)
+ Recognize leaders that emerge from shadow networks
+ immediate reword for success
+ consider how to allow loaners outside these netowkrs to have input, groputhink from IM type communication can be a problem
+ support latest tech within your company