Building the Flexible Firm: How to Remain CompetitiveHow do firms cope with changing environments? Is flexibility really the solution? Based on an Igor Ansoff Award winning study, Building the Flexible Firm shows how flexibility has become the new strategic challenge for contemporary firms. Offering a wealth of insights and based on extensive interviews with practitioners, Henk Volberda provides a strategic framework which explains what types of flexibility are effective under different organizational conditions and environmental characteristics. He also demonstrates an integrated method for diagnosing a firm's flexibility and for guiding the transition to greater flexibility and responsiveness. |
Contents
Reducing Organizational | 6 |
A Revision of Management and Organization | 11 |
Flexibility The Hallmark of Postmodern Organization | 30 |
A Multidimensional | 81 |
Creating Flexible Capabilities | 107 |
17 | 166 |
Flexibility under Various Levels | 184 |
Towards The Flexible Form | 209 |
Tools | 224 |
Appendices | 283 |
Diagnostic Results of the Multicase Longitudinal Study | 311 |
317 | |
320 | |
328 | |
335 | |
Other editions - View all
Building the Flexible Firm: How to Remain Competitive Henk Wijtze Volberda No preview available - 1998 |
Common terms and phrases
activities adapt Ansoff approach basic organizational form behaviour bility Burns and Stalker capability development capacity chaotic clients competitive change competitive forces complex contingency theory corporate creating culture decision-making design variables dimensions double-loop learning Dutch dynamic capabilities employees entrepreneurial entrepreneurship environment environmental turbulence external orientation facilitate firms flex flexi flexibility improvement flexibility mix flexibility potential flexible capabilities flexible forms focus formal functional hypercompetitive Igor Ansoff increase incremental internal KLM Cargo levels limited ment metaflexibility Mintzberg mode mode of production nization norms operational flexibility orga organization design tasks organization's organizational conditions organizational culture organizational flexibility paradox perspective Philips Semiconductors planning and control Postbank potential for flexibility process regulations production programmes rationality RBOCs redesign repertoire response result revitalization rigid routines Schismogenesis Sect strategic flexibility strategic management strategic schemas structural flexibility suppliers theory tion trajectories types of flexibility typology unit unpredictable unwritten rules Volberda