The Red Queen among Organizations: How Competitiveness Evolves (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "FORMAL ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE in every aspect of modern life, and in each domain some organizations become remarkably successful while most others do not..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

The Red Queen Among Organizations represents outstanding scholarship in the organisational theory field but is sufficiently rooted in the "real world" to be of benefit to business strategists and particularly to MBA and doctoral students in the field of corporate strategy. [I]t is a serious attempt to understand organisational behaviour, and it does it exceptionally well.
(Cary L. Cooper Times Higher Education )

The main strength of the book is in highlighting the importance of competition in market-based economies for building viable, adaptive organizations.
(Jason Potts, Kate Morrison The Business Economist )

Barnett presents an excellent theoretical account of the evolution of competitiveness, supported by empirical evidence. . . . This ecological theory provides an excellent complement and contrast to many existing theoretical frameworks in strategic management.
(J.J. Bailey Choice )

The most ambitious and important new book is The Red Queen among Organizations, by William P. Barnett. . . . [I]t is the best strategy book of the year because of its main insights: Competition concerns relative performance, not absolute performance; a company's competitiveness is context specific, and contexts can change, giving rise to the competency trap; learning comes from competing, not isolation from competition; and differentiation is desirable as a way to secure rents, but must be pursued in the context of competition, not in the vain hopes of avoiding it.
(Phil Rosenzweig Stratgey & Business )

Review

Engaging and thought-provoking, Barnett's construct of 'learning organizations' that evolve as a function of their particular competitive environment and capabilities is, in my experience, an accurate description of this complex and important corporate dimension. Having spent fifteen years in the disc-drive industry, which is generally regarded as the most competitive segment in the technology marketplace, I strongly recommend this book to anyone concerned with the strategic and organizational issues related to corporate competitiveness.
(Steve Luczo, chairman of Seagate Technology )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (February 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691131147
• ISBN-13: 978-0691131146
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #366,005 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Academic study of the results of organizational competition, September 5, 2008

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book tackles an important, fascinating subject, "how competitiveness evolves." Adapting techniques from disciplines as disparate as evolutionary biology and literature (the guiding metaphor of the Red Queen is from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, hinting that the text is not totally devoid of humor), William P. Barnett brings an intelligence to bear that is sharply focused and dense with knowledge. He makes essential observations about organizational learning, offering telling, innovative insights on the real complexity of information management and communication. getAbstract recommends this to serious students of knowledge and management. Regretfully, only serious students are likely to sift through the analysis, since Barnett's style is as dense as his learning, making for tough going at times - though the Red Queen perspective is worth the trip.