World Class : Thriving Locally in the Global Economy [Hardcover]

Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

The frontier of business growth is shifting from the giants to small and medium-sized enterprises. This book shows how these new pioneers can collaborate, innovate and export. It shows why emerging companies in new technology fields have to be "born global" just to keep their domestic business, why it is so important to act quickly, and how many apparent problems (such as outside ownership of local companies) can be turned to advantage. The book also looks at the development of local communities - cities, boroughs and towns everywhere are developing their own strategic plans and foreign policies - and shows the three ways communities can succeed, explaining how to apply the lessons outlined.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Kanter (Men & Women of the Corporation, Basic Bks., 1993) is a prolific writer in the areas of organization, change, and work and family. Expanding her view to encompass the globalization not only of business but of our daily lives, she strives to convey the importance of realizing the worldwide impact of our decisions as individuals, corporations, and communities. Kanter discusses the fundamental and far-reaching elements of change in the workplace: outsourcing, temporary workers, and job loss. In the chapter "Making the Global Economy Work Locally," which examines studies of foreign companies operating successfully in Boston, South Carolina, and Miami, she asserts, "The best cities are places where businesses and people learn better and develop faster than they otherwise would, because they are centers of the three C's...concepts, competence, and connections." A solid work; recommended for all business collections.?Lisa K. Miller, Paradise Valley Community Coll. Lib., Phoenix
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Count on many requests for Kanter's latest contribution to the world of business. Based on extensive questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups, her new book examines what factors equate with her definition of the word cosmopolitan. She heralds five cities, from Boston to Seattle, as urban areas thriving in world markets, yet she scrutinizes each for warts as well as wisdom. Her principles seem sound; for instance, she encourages companies to organize around customers, to collaborate with partners, to set high goals, and to support constant learning. Her depth of research makes it difficult to refute her contention that strong collaborations and strong infrastructures present the new keys to global survival and to success. Barbara Jacobs

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1St Edition edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684811294
• ISBN-13: 978-0684811291
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,023 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rosabeth Moss Kanter holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, where she specializes in strategy, innovation, and leadership for change. Her strategic and practical insights have guided leaders of large and small organizations worldwide for over 25 years, through teaching, writing, and direct consultation to major corporations and governments. The former Editor of Harvard Business Review (1989-1992), Professor Kanter has been named to lists of the "50 most powerful women in the world" (Times of London), and the "50 most influential business thinkers in the world" (Accenture and Thinkers 50 research). In 2001, she received the Academy of Management's Distinguished Career Award for her scholarly contributions to management knowledge, and in 2002 was named "Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year" by the World Teleport Association.

She is the author or co-author of 18 books. Her latest book is SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good, a manifesto for leadership of sustainable enterprises. SuperCorp is based on three years of research and more than 350 interviews in 20 countries.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good material but too much fluff, August 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: World Class : Thriving Locally in the Global Economy (Hardcover)

There we many examples of world class communities and how they attract and retain business. That was one of the problems I had with the book. There were just too many examples. A good editor could have cut the size of this book in half. The material contrasting the global view (cosmopolitan) against the local view, was thought provoking.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Community and Commerce in the New Era, April 8, 2000

By 

Robert D. Steele (Oakton, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: World Class : Thriving Locally in the Global Economy (Hardcover)

This book sparked my understanding of "community intelligence" and the need for an integrated network of civic leaders, corporate leaders, academic leaders, and social or non-profit leaders all sharing the same "intelligence" on what the threat to the local community is in terms of losing jobs and remaining attractive as an investment. The author boils it down to each community deciding if it is a thinker, a maker, or a trader community, and then setting out to ensure that everything about the community supports that specific kind of business at a "world-class" level.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful!, June 1, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy (Paperback)

The cliché-ridden manifesto on "globalism" has become a staple of our time, with seemingly every consultant, economist and professor spewing out a book or two about the worldwide economy. Few of these authors ever rise above the self-evident and oft-stated themes of wonderful opportunity and mortal danger. But in World Class, author Rosabeth Moss Kanter presents - hold on to your seats - an innovative analysis of globalization's economic and social trends. While the book can't entirely escape the trite "change or die" admonitions of the genre, some of her conclusions truly are original: Companies forced to devote their attention to the global stage will gradually lose interest in their traditional local communities, and those communities will be forced to compete with other localities around the world for the privilege of hosting industry. We [...] recommend this book to any executive or student seeking a non-emotional, fact-based look at the implications of globalism for business and society.