From Library Journal
Coauthors of Why Teams Don't Work (LJ 7/97), Robbins and Finley now tackle traditional concepts of competition vs. collaboration in business, offering as an alternative what they refer to as "transcompetition." Eschewing either end of the continuum, the authors attempt to define the right mix of competition and collaboration in today's radically changing business environment, with a heavy emphasis on the fields of anthropology, psychology, history, and biology. Their goal is to break the cycle of winning at all costs, or of suppressing the individual for the good of the group, while integrating the best of both approaches in an alliance between individuals and organizations. Examples of companies clearly representing these conflicting approaches abound here, but the idea of a transcompetitive organization is sadly lost in a mush of New Age ideas sorely in need of a point. Look to Margaret Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science (Berrett-Koehler, 1993) for a far better understanding of natural laws applied to organizations. Buy only on demand at larger public libraries.?Dale F. Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Almost a decade ago, Robbins touted the advantages of teamwork and collaboration in Turf Wars: Moving from Competition to Collaboration (1990). Five years later, he and Finley acknowledged some of the barriers to collaboration in Why Teams Don't Work: What Went Wrong and How to Make It Right (1995). Now, the two propose a new management model that combines the best elements of both collaboration and competition. Robbins is a licensed clinical psychologist, and Finley is a business writer whose columns are carried by the Knight Ridder newspaper chain. They document the destructive effects of competition and the often ineffective results of collaboration. Using self-and organizational-assessment tools and examples from the corporate world, the authors show how to combine these two strategies to best advantage. This book is the second imprint in a new series from Business Week magazine, and Robbins and Finley utilize short, article-length chapters that reflect Business Week's journalistic style. David Rouse
