Business Climate Shifts: Profiles of Change Makers [Hardcover]

Warner Burke Ph.D (Author), William Trahant (Author), Richard Koonce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 1999

Business Climate Shifts: Profiles of Change Makers contains a wealth of CEO wisdom about how companies today can successfully manage change in response to rapidly changing business conditions. Includes a compelling overview of the factors and forces driving rapid and often "discontinuous" change in business today - e.g. globalization, the disruptive influence of new technologies, growing electronic connectivity among far flung financial markets, and the rise of e-business among others -- and assesses the short and long-term significance of these trends for the long-term viability of companies in all industries. Among the "change makers" profiled in this book: Lord Colin Marshall, Chairman of British Airways; Robert Bauman, former CEO of SmithKline Beecham; Bill Henderson, U.S. Postmaster General; Jane Garvey, Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration; Fred Poses, President of AlliedSignal; Sir Richard Evans, Chairman of British Aerospace; and Errol Marshall, CEO of Shell South Africa, among others.



Features interviews with some of the most significant transformational leaders of our time
Foreword written by Warren Bennis
Contains in-depth analyses of what's required to ensure successful and sustainable transformation

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Warner Burke Ph.D: Professor of Psychology and Education and Chair of the Department of Organization and Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University

Richard Koonce: Author, business columnist, interviewer, and organizational consultant to Fortune 500 companies

William Trahant: Senior partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers where he serves as the Director of the firm's International Center of Excellence for Change Management.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann (December 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750671866
• ISBN-13: 978-0750671866
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489,030 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Business-Oriented Book Useful to Not-for-Profit Leaders, February 11, 2000

By 

Dr. Ryan LaHurd (Lenoir-Rhyne College, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business Climate Shifts: Profiles of Change Makers (Hardcover)

As a college president, I read a lot of books about leadership and about institutional change. I found "Business Climate Shifts" to be extremely enjoyable to read, helpful, and relevant to a CEO of a not-for-profit. Although the idea of fast change seems like an oxymoron when connected to higher education, this book gives a framework in which higher education and other not-for-profits can operate. The helpful use of the living organism as a metaphor feels comfortable for higher education as does the book's use of scenarios -- something we are very comfortable with but often fail to use. In fact, the use of a metaphorical approach throughout fits with current thinking on the sources of visionary capability in leaders. The Organizational Diagnostic Checklist is worth the price of the book; it allows an organization to begin quickly the process of assessment and can be used throughout an organization. Educational institutions are very familiar with assessment, and this book fits directly into that familiar territory while giving it a business twist. The use of informal case studies and interviews makes the book easily readable and quite interesting. The chapter conclusions help focus the reader's attention on what has been read and demonstrate what has been learned from the case study. I found myself going back to them as a kind of review when I had finished the book. Asking people who have been successful to describe their own skills and approaches adds strong credibility and validity to the book. I feel certain this aspect of the book will make it useful as an educational tool for developing future leaders.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A personal look - a real opportunity to meet change makers, February 15, 2000

By 

Jim Hollahan (Silver Spring, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business Climate Shifts: Profiles of Change Makers (Hardcover)

Just ordered "Business Climate Shift" at the recommendation of a friend. I am a consultant who works with corporations on training and e-learning strategies that support implementation of knowledge and skill development in rapidly changing market places. My work continually has me working with senior managers on business change issues. I am always looking for new perspectives on organizational change. What is interesting about the book is the interview format. A very interesting way to explore the subject. The interview style gives you a chance to draw your own conclusions and you get a personal feel for the context senior managers face as they address organizational change issues. I have found the interviews very engaging and the authors do a nice job of summarizing the key organizational change issues for each interview. Many organizational change books present models and theory. This one also gives you a view of the human and personal issues associated with leading major change initiatives. .

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly readable work on emerging business trends, January 18, 2000

By 

R. Hemsey (Minneapolis) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business Climate Shifts: Profiles of Change Makers (Hardcover)

I picked this book up with high expectations and wasn't disappointed. The interview format with change-makers is conversational and engaging. Another feature I liked is the Chapter Conclusions ... kind of a Cliff's Notes that ends each chapter with wonderful clarity. This is a book that will appeal to readers on many levels.