Karaoke Capitalism: Management For Mankind ("Financial Times") ("Financial Times") ("Financial Times") (Financial Times Series) (Paperback)

by Jonas Ridderstrale (Author), Kjell A. Nordstrom (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"The Swedish economists, who shot to the top of the management guru charts in 2001 with their era-defining book, Funky Business, are back" Director magazine

Product Description
The karaoke economy is dominated by individuals with endless choice. The trouble for business is that the karaoke club is also home to institutionalized imitation. Copy-cats abound. Only imagination and innovation place societies, organizations and individuals center-stage. Karaoke Capitalism is a call to arms. The authors are rebels with a cause. With their unorthodox combination of academic rigor, forceful logic and funky free-thinking they once again re-write the rules for revolutionaries.

This is a true work-out for the wits. The book teaches us how to successfully compete on competencies, create capitalism with character, and how to have a great life while also making a living. It is required reading for all those wanting to be a first-rate version of themselves rather than a second-rate version of someone else.

Karaoke Capitalism is a hitchhiker's guide to the galaxies of business. and practice is that business schools, benchmarking and best practice have transformed the entire world of commerce into a super-group of karaoke copying companies. And imitating someone else will never get you to the top - merely to the middle. Our societies are shaped by the glorious trio of technologies, institutions and galaxies of commerce. It is a book about people - management for mankind - the individuals prepared to grasp the microphone and express themselves. You have the rights.

Now, you must learn to live them. The karaoke reality is a cosmopolitan club with endless individual choice but also a paltry place for institutionalized imitation. The dirty little secret of management theory values. Changes have now made abnormal the new normal. The bubble economy has given way to the double economy. Forget about appealing to the average. Success is a question of exploring the extremes.

Corporations are no longer in control.

Modern companies are facing the prospects of a two-front war- held hostage by talent and under siege by consumers. The winners know that wealth is created with wisdom, but to remain competitive they are forced to create knowledge networks that pose new and fundamentally different demands on the organization. In a world of economic Darwinism, survival is a question of being fit or sexy - competing on models and moods. Fitness boils down to using market imperfections to your advantage.

Masters of mood exploit the imperfections of man by seducing or sedating consumer. Excellent companies re-invent innovation and re-energize the corporation. To develop the character of capitalism we have to accept individual responsibility. Look inside. Do you want to be a first-rate version of yourself or a second-rate version of someone else?

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Product Details

• Paperback: 311 pages
• Publisher: Trans-Atlantic Publications, Inc. (December 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273687476
• ISBN-13: 978-0273687474
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #963,906 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Individualism knows neither immitations nor limitations !!!, March 16, 2008

By	Franco Arda (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Again, a wonderful written business book from those two super authors. While the book title might be a bit misleading, it's all about INDIVIDUALITY. It's about experiencing and expressing our individuality in life (mostly through the context of business). Business if floaded with copy-cats. This book is a manifesto against copy-cat business (or karaoke capitalism).

Understanding this is like understanding outsourcing. Executives used to believe that 2+2=5. Now it is 5-2=7 because the more non-core activities you place outside the firm the higher the value you can generate. Funky :-)

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Europe Premier Business Thinker write again after FUNKY BUSINESS, October 19, 2005

By	T SANTOSO (Surabaya, Jatim Indonesia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love the writers' different "accent" in the writings, and if you are bored with the many similarity among American Gurus' writing, try this one.

Funky Business is thier first book and i love the book very much. This long awaited sequel has been in Asia ( i bought in spore twice) for sometime and i strangely could not find it in Amazon (untill i check today).... and why it is listed for 50USD is beyond me. (Should be about 15 USD for the soft cover).

The book has nothing to do with Karaoke (singing to the tune of music which is popular in Asia), and this is about business, the rise of the individual, and a host of other things.

I am biased, I love Tom Peters, Seth Godin, and both writers of this book.