The Living Company

by De Geus, Arie

• ISBN13: 9781578518203
• ISBN10: 1578518202
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-06-01
• Publisher: INGRAM

Summary

Most companies do not survive the upheavals of change and competition over the long haul. But there are a few remarkable firms that have withstood the test of several centuries. What hidden lessons do they hold for the rest of us? Arie de Geus, the man who introduced the revolutionary concept of the learning organization, reveals the key to managing for a long and prosperous organizational life. The Living Company speaks not just to aspiring leaders, but to anyone trying to adapt to a turbulent business environment. Only those steeped in the habits of a living company will survive. "This profound and uplifting book is for the leaders in all of us. Arie de Geus challenges most of the conventional wisdom in management thinking today." -Dr. James F. Moore, author of The Death of Competition "Arie de Geus gives leaders of the future an indispensable guidebook in which commitment to values, people, learning, and innovation defines the living company. It's in my book bag." -Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, The Drucker Foundation AUTHORBIO: Arie de Geus worked for Royal Dutch/Shell for thirty-eight years and is widely credited with originating the concept of the learning organization. Since his retirement, he has advised many government and private institutions and has lectured throughout the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Prologue: The Lifespan of a Company

Learning

The Shift from Capitalism to a Knowledge Society

The Memory of the Future

Tools for Foresight

Decision Making as a Learning Activity Persona (Identity)

Only Living Beings Learn

Managing for Profit or for Longevity: Is there a Choice?

Ecology

Flocking

The Tolerant Company

The Corporate Immune System

Evolution

Conservation in Financing

Power: Nobody Should Have Too Much

Epilogue: The Company of the Future

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