Title: The living company /
Authors: Geus, Arie de.
Publisher: Harvard Business School Press,
Year: 1997
Subjects: Industry; Commerce; Industrial management; Corporations Case studies.; Organizational Case Studies; Financial Management; Psychology, Industry.
Abstract: In The Living Company, the man who introduced the revolutionary concept of the learning organization has turned his attention to identifying the critical characteristics of organizational longevity. Arie de Geus reveals the keys to managing for a long and prosperous organizational life. He draws a sharp distinction between "living companies," the purpose of which is to fulfill their potential and perpetuate themselves as ongoing communities, and "economic companies," which are in business solely to produce wealth for a small group of individuals. He shows clearly that living companies manage for survival; economic companies manage for profit.
Contents: Prologue: the lifespan of a company -- Learning -- 1. The shift from capitalism to a knowledge society -- 2. The memory of the future -- 3. Tools for foresight -- 4. Decision making as a learning activity -- Persona (Identity) -- 5. Only living beings learn -- 6. Managing for profit or for longevity: is there a choice? -- Ecology -- 7. Flocking -- 8. The tolerant company -- 9. The corporate immune system -- Evolution -- 10. Conservatism in financing -- 11. Power: nobody should have too much -- Epilogue: the company of the future -- Notes.