Nokia: The Inside Story [Hardcover]

Martti Häikiö (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2002

Throughout its long history, Nokia Corporation has played a substantial role in the Finnish economy and during recent years in the global economy. Its operations have expanded from pulp to paper to energy production, from rubber boots to car tyres, and from electric cables to computers, telephone exchanges and mobile phones. The company has evolved and expanded so quickly that even those who have lived through its development have sometimes had difficulty seeing the big picture. One question more than any other stands out in the Nokia story: what explains the company's ernormous rise to become one of the world's biggest companies in the 1990s? It is the first Finnish company with a name commonly known all over the world, so how did a Finnish company become a world-class enterprise? In January 1997, Nokia's Board of Directors decided to document the company's history and pivotal points of development to try and answer that question. "Nokia: the Inside Story "builds on that exercise, and aims to explain the choices and decisions that have steered Nokia's growth. Drawing on key sources including the minutes, memos and correspondence of Nokia Corp., plus interviews with many of the individuals involved and their personal archives, this honest, reliable account provides unique insight into Nokia's histrory.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Nokia's dynamic evolution is a story of how visionary industrial thinking and courageous decisions have enabled a company on the edge of Western Europe to grow rapidly into a truly global force."

Now one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world, Nokia enjoyed an astonishing rise to prominence at the end of the 1990s and continues to set performance standards its competitors struggle to match.

Originally created in 1865 as a Finnish wood-processing plant, Nokia has followed a long and tortuous path to its present elevated position. In Nokia:The Inside Story, author Martti Häikiö adapts his award-winning three-volume history of the company to concentrate on the key questions for business observers today:

What explains Nokia's phenomenal recent success?How did a Finnish company become first a European force, then a global giant?How did a stumbling conglomerate transform itself into a streamlined pacesetter?

This is the story of a company that recovered from times of great crisis: the threat of hostile takeover and financial ruin, the suicide of a charismatic CEO, the collapse of its core market in the former Soviet Union, and enormous losses in the consumer electronics industry. It is also the story of a management team unafraid of reinvention, divesting businesses that once formed the very essence of the company. It details the interrelationships between technological innovation and organizational change, between bottom-line demands and public regulatory measures.

In writing Nokia: The Inside Story, Martti Häikiö enjoyed privileged and unprecedented access to the internal company record and to key Nokia personnel. He has used this information to build an authoritative account of the major events and strategic decisions in Nokia's recent history and the lessons they hold for any company seeking to prosper in today's ever-changing business environment.

Dr. Martti Häikiö is a historian, journalist and Senior Lecturer at the University of Helsinki's Institute of Political History, where he has worked since 1978. An author and analyst of vast experience, he has written hundreds of articles and more than ten books, covering topics in business history, international diplomacy, and Finnish politics. His current research interests focus on deregulation in the telecommunications and energy markets, particularly the interplay between innovation, business and public policy.

"If this book has a message for others seeking success, it would be a plea for flexibility and open-mindedness. Only with those qualities can a company in today's volatile global environment hope to prosper."

About the Author

Martti Häikiö is a Ph.D. and Senior Lecturer at the University of Helsinki. He has published several books about recent economic, political and diplomatic history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Financial Times Prentice Hall; 1st edition (October 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273659839
• ISBN-13: 978-0273659839
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,193,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From industrial revolution to information society, February 8, 2004

By 

Jouko Ahvenainen (Helsinki, Helsinki Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nokia: The Inside Story (Hardcover)

The book gives an interesting overview to Nokia, but at the same time it is an interesting story from the industrial revolution to the information society. Nokia has had a long way from paper, rubber, and cable business to cellular networks and handsets. It is also a story about different corporate strategies. Nokia used to be in several industries and huge diversified product portfolio. During the last 10 years Nokia has shifted its strategy to have a clear focus in the telecom industry. And all events are also related to politics.

Actually I feel the most interesting part of the book is 1970's and 1980's. It was the time when Nokia started the shift from paper and rubber industry to consumer electronics and telecom. This time had many dramatic events and great visions. 1990's is maybe the most boring part of the book. There are so many other books that tell about Nokia's most recent days and strategies.

I recommend this book. Especially, it put me to think that each strategy is always related to a prevailing political and business environment. Nokia has been able to successfully adjust its strategy to meet different needs and situations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nokia from A-Z, September 26, 2007

By 

Phillip Schwarzmann "Stand-up comic. Writer. ... (Helsinki, Finland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nokia: The Inside Story (Hardcover)

A well-written and entertaining look at Nokia's entire history...up until 2002 at least. Highly recommended for all Nokia fanboys like me!