Christopher Bartlett and Sumantra Ghoshal,The Individualized Corporation
(1997)
Bartlett (born in Australia) works
at Harvard Business School (pictured right)..
Ghoshal (Indian), was a London
Business School professor
Ghoshal (pictured right below) died in 2004
See also...
Christopher Bartlett and Sumantra
Ghoshal in the Management Gurus section.
Book summary
What is an individualized corporation?
It is “flexible enough to exploit the idiosyncratic knowledge and unique skills of each individual
employee”.
Why does it deliver business success?
The individualized corporation can achieve:
1. Empowerment
(requiring initiative and self-motivation, but it isn’t “abandonment” – empowered people are given clear work
objectives and standards of performance).
2. Creativity and learning
Finding creative solutions to customers' problems.
3. Social responsibility
Responding to the needs of society and local communities.
4. Common purpose
A shared commitment to:
- customer satisfaction.
Employees must understand:
- the organization's customer driven strategy.
- their role in achieving it.
How to transform organizational performance
These four success factors (above) will help the organization to implement the three stages to transform its
performance (in its processes like production and marketing):
1. Rationalization
- performance improving strategies (like training).
2. Revitalization
Questioning past success factors and changing the rules of the game, usually with new competencies and
businesses – how?
- stretch (challenging objectives).
- effective cross-functional teams.
- mutual trust and support.
“Sweet and sour” management is necessary in which rationalization and revitalization are
continually balanced.
3. Regeneration
Achieving continuous self-renewal by each employee through:
- encouraging and supporting continual learning and
improvement (with managers acting as coaches).
- sharing information and ideas.
An organization must continually re-evaluate its performance in times of success and
failure.
The danger of success is a complacent refusal to change and improve (“the failure
of success”).
Key quote on empowerment
Empowerment is not abandonment.
Key quote on business success
They [successful companies] have moved beyond the old doctrine of strategy, structure and systems to...the
development of purpose, process and people.
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