Plowing the Sea: Nurturing the Hidden Sources of Growth in the Developing World [Hardcover]

Michael Fairbanks (Author), Stace Lindsay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 30, 1997

The authors address the issue of competitiveness in the developing world. Using the Colombian cut-flower industry as a backdrop (and drawing from a variety of industries in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Peru), they identify seven core elements of the failed model of competitiveness in which much of the developing world appears to be trapped. These patterns include an over-reliance on basic production factors and natural resources, inadequate supplier and distributor relationships, and insufficient tools for performing customer and competitor analysis. In a challenge to conventional economic development theory and practice, Fairbanks and Lindsay propose an "action framework, " emphasizing strategic and microeconomic approaches to growth, based on a partnership between the public and private sectors. The authors argue that only by identifying common goals, committing to a long-term perspective, investing in human resources, and assigning new leadership roles for businesspeople and policymakers alike, can developing countries break out of the vicious cycle of underperformance.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press; 1ST edition (May 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875847617
• ISBN-13: 978-0875847610
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #848,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making True Revolution with Success, May 6, 2001

By 

Dr. Karen Gulliver (Minneapolis, Minnesota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plowing the Sea: Nurturing the Hidden Sources of Growth in the Developing World (Hardcover)

This is a complex and multidimensional book on many levels. This book is not really about what governments can do to help their countries develop. In fact, the word "development" hardly appears. It is about the unproductive relationship between government and the private sector that wastes time and other valuable resources in emerging economies. The authors hold both parties responsible for moving on.

As stated on the first page, Simon Bolivar's epitaph reads, "Whomsoever has worked for a revolution has plowed the sea." Meant by Bolivar to convey despair and the heartbreak of failure, these words are transformed by the authors who have maintained a sense of optimism and good humor throughout their own experiences in the rugged world of transformation consulting. The Introduction, the book's first substantive chapter, is a cautionary tale of the Colombian flower industry, that prospered globally for decades, but later declined and has not yet recovered. Through this "case", seven patterns of firm behavior that inhibits economic agility are identified. The first seven chapters of the book elaborate on these patterns, wonderfully illustrated with other cases (Peru's fishmeal and Bolivia's soy industry, for example). The authors describe a sort of bratty adolescence that traps companies and industries in emerging economies. Chapters 8 and 9 are a fine application of micro principles around the theme of strategy, again focused on the firm. The authors advocate the old-fashion but culture shattering step of focusing on customers, costs and competitors in order to guide and inform decisions about strategy, positioning and productivity. They offer information and learning as a way for firms to experience a "coming of age" in the competitive sense. The role of government in promoting economic transformation is not touched until Chapter 10, two-thirds of the way through the book. Chapter 10-12 are probably where readers will find the book a bit frustrating and repetitive. Not enough time is spent defining what the authors mean by "steering mechanisms". This is undoubtedly because the book assumes the reader already knows alot. Chapter 10 mostly illustrates shifts in steering mechanisms using the case of a wall-bouncing Bolivian government. Chapter 11 is almost singular for business books - there is an actual discussion of research and the presentation of data. It is a practitioners discussion, however, not an academic one, so potential readers can relax.

B-school vets and other warriors will recognize alot here as an application of Michael Porter's "diamond model" from his Competitive Advantage of Nations (1990) and indeed, Porter writes the Foreword. The authors have extended the "diamond's" scope and reach, but their own model is not apparent until the end, Chapter 13. Their model for bringing about industry level change appears in the book's final four pages.

This book's protagonists are leaders in firms, industries and government, as well as their mindsets and actions. The word "leader" might be interpreted by some readers as "government" but this is not accurate. This book does do something extraordinary, however. On one hand, it is a blood and guts how-to on diagnosing and fixing the self-defeating decision making of firms in the emerging world. On the other hand, the conceptual framework within which political economics is practiced, debated, planned and evaluated is updated to reflect the fact that competitive advantage, not absolute or comparative advantage will increasingly referee the win/loss columns in the global economy. The context of political economics is addressed entirely without reference to ideology. This might strike some as soulless or arrogant. It might strike others as about time.

The writing in this book reflects a highly integrated understanding of business and economics, as well as intimate and affectionate knowledge of Latin American business and classical culture. Also apparent are the authors very fine liberal arts backgrounds, years on the road and a sense of mirth. Finally, these authors clearly know their work and thinking is culture altering and socially revolutionary. Their obvious goal is to realize the dream of Bolivar by capturing the minds of today's business, industry and government trend setters. While I would say their hearts are definitely not bleeding nor on their sleeves, their drive and focus are more uplifting than anything I have read or seen in a long time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Refreshing and a Great Read, September 12, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Plowing the Sea: Nurturing the Hidden Sources of Growth in the Developing World (Hardcover)

It isn't everyday that one gets to read a book about business and have it read as pleasurably as a good novel. Fairbanks and Lindsay have a gift for business analysis and a gift for writing. When will their next book be coming out?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars advanced support for --Plowing the Sea, April 22, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Plowing the Sea: Nurturing the Hidden Sources of Growth in the Developing World (Hardcover)

--James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank says that "At last we have a book which applies the best lessons of what makes companies successful to the changes that developing countries can make to create wealth for their people. Plowing the Sea is rich with stories from the Andean countries, but their applications are universal. This bottom-up perspective accentuates a prerequisite for change: the need for ownership at all levels of society. Michael Fairbanks and Stace Lindsay leave the reader confident and even optimistic that the developing world really can become competitive. We all can learn from their practical advice." --President Cesar Gaviria, Former President of Colombia, Secretary General, Organization of American States states that--"This rich and absorbing work provides a new approach for the study of development strategies in the Andean countries and the developing world in general. With clear and insightful arguments, Fairbanks and Lindsay urge government and business leaders to adopt a new economic paradigm, in which wealth creation and distribution no longer depend on existing comparative advantages, but on innovative thinking and competitive advantages. Plowing the Sea is necessary reading for those interested in the sustainable development of Latin American countries." --and finally, Michael E. Porter, Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business Schoolsays that Fairbanks and Lindsay offer a wealth of valuable insight into the barriers to change in countries and how to overcome them. The book is brimming with rich case studies that will inform both theory and practice for years to come. Most importantly however, the book is based not just on ideas but on results Fairbanks and Lindsay have achieved during projects set in many countries.