How often have individuals vowed to change their ways, stop, reflect and start over? Large corporations too often face the starker situation of evolve or die – few can do so. Boeing has proved itself one of the global leaders in knowledge management. Given the pressures and increasing strains...

Despite recording more than $1 billion in annual sales world‐wide, LL Bean faces the pressures of all major retailers – competition, fluctuating sales, overcapacity in the sector and potential squeezes on margins. The business is one of the world’s best‐known brands in outdoor sports and...

Organizational energy at first can appear to be an obvious business concept. Any organization you care to pick only has a finite amount of human energy that it can muster to deliver its business goals. Energy, rather than time, is the commodity leaders are realizing they need to value. You could...

In 1996, Koji Oboshi, president of NTT DoCoMo, foresaw that the demand for new mobile phones would soon peak unless mobiles were developed with new capabilities and services so that consumers would trade in their old mobile for a new, improved one. NTT DoCoMo is Japan’s leading mobile...

Creativity, so business theorists say, is a firm’s most valuable asset. We’ve all heard the mantras: “ideas are the future!” “innovate or die!” Getting the message is easy enough but for a lot of firms developing and harnessing creative ideas is easier said than done. Creativity is a...

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide consideration for debate with respect to the role of specialists in HR and people support and development roles, their current dilemma and potential solutions. Design/methodology/approach – Based upon experience from working at senior...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the rapid changes occurring in the business world, fundamentally shifting the way we work, connect, and collaborate in the modern workplace. Design/methodology/approach – The authors discuss problems connected with the matrix organization....

Presents some basic systems theory using an amusing scenario. Centres on the Deming imperative that an appreciation for a system is an integral part of a system of profound knowledge. Clarifies the meaning of “appreciation” and “for” in context. Concludes with observations gleaned from...

Purpose – This paper seeks to provide insights into the current global financial crisis from an institutional theory perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents the development of key concepts using institutional theory, grounded in a discussion of the context of the...

Siemens, once noted for its bureaucratic and hierarchical approach to business, has adopted a grass‐roots and “bottom up” approach to knowledge management, which has transformed the company over the last three years. Without any suggestion or provocation from above, middle‐level...