The Fourth Wave [Paperback]

Herman Bryant Maynard (Author), Susan E Mehrtens (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1996 | ISBN-10: 1576750027 | ISBN-13: 978-1576750025

Applying the concept of historical waves originally propounded by Alvin Toffler in The Third Wave, Herman Maynard and Susan Mehrtens look toward the next century and foresee a "Fourth Wave, " an era of integration and responsibility far beyond Toffler's revolutionary description of Third Wave postindustrial society. Whether we attain this stage of global well-being, however, will depend on how well our business institutions are able to adapt and change. The Fourth Wave examines the ways business has changed in the Second and Third Waves and describes ways it must continue to change in the Fourth. The changes concern the basics - how an institution is organized, how it defines wealth, how it relates to surrounding communities, how it responds to environmental needs, and how it takes part in the political process. The authors also demonstrate the need for a new kind of leadership - managers and CEOs who embrace an attitude of global stewardship; who define their assets as ideas, information, creativity, and vision; and who strive for seamless boundaries between work and private lives for all employees.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This prediction of a benevolent role for corporations in 21st-century society synthesizes recent academic thinking (some 500 titles are listed in a bibliography) to suggest that a "fourth wave" integrating life and social responsibility will transcend the agricultural, industrial and cultural interdependency waves of human development. Former DuPont executive Maynard and Mehrtens ( Earthkeeping ) envision big-business leadership in such areas as environmental "health of the planet" and whole-life concerns for employees (who will become part-owners) and their families in a "community model" business structure of "shared vision, principles and values." While citing signs of such progress and mandating much more, the authors never quite identify the forces which are expected to convert a competitive, profit-seeking, hierarchical institution--the corporation--into a democratic, "intuitive" and "biopolitical" social instrument.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Scientific American

Maynard and Mehrtens are two of the more brilliant futurists we have on the planet today. Their ideas of what business will be in the future as described in The Fourth Wave are radical, exciting, and rich with creative new direction. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 17 pages
• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576750027
• ISBN-13: 978-1576750025
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,914,077 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read!, August 28, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Fourth Wave (Paperback)

What will the future hold for business? The Fourth Wave attempts to answer this question by looking far out to the horizon of knowable things. Expanding on Toffler's Third Wave, The Fourth Wave analyzes trends that will shape the nature of business in the 21st century. At the forefront of this trend analysis is the consideration of global consciousness, ecology, environmental integrity and economics. The book is written from an academic perspective, so it is not an easy read, but the authors must have sensed this shortcoming, because they use charts to effectively summarize the information presented in the chapters. We [...] recommend this book to anyone who wants a fresh perspective on the role business might play in the future, and perhaps should play today. Executives, change leaders and students will find this book useful and thought provoking.

9 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Communist garble at its worst, November 14, 1999

By 

Addnos "addnos" (Orange, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Fourth Wave (Hardcover)

I only read this book because it was required by a management professor. The book contains enough eco-trash logic to make you wince in pain. The authors would have you believe that business owners will succumb to the temptation of giving up their profits for the good of the community. Not only do the authors repeatedly promote an organization called the NIEO, they use words that soften their political philosphy. They say the second wave of business ownership is "Stockholders", the third is "Worker Ownership" and the fourth "Communitarian". "Communitarian"? What is that? Sounds like you know what. They base their analyses on exactly zero facts, or at least questionable conclusions. Reading this book was torture. A better read about business and how it should and will operate is "Reframing Organizations" by Bolman and Deal. In case you haven't guessed, I'm a "Capitalitarian".