Control was centralized in hierarchical management. Activities were linear and sequential. But Information Age businesses must adapt to changing conditions and route problems to those who can best solve them to grow outward. Any plans we make are likely to be valid only for short periods of time. Managers have to be cognizant that they need to be nimble and agile to cope.
Traditional approaches break down.
That means the classic approach to strategic management is too cumbersome in an electronic world. But look at today's world. A car dealer who wants to spur sales might offer rebates on cars. Meanwhile, other dealers are creating the entire deal online and even delivering the car, points out Peter Sealey, co-director of the Center for Marketing and Technology at the University of California at Berkeley. The same competition exists in the steel industry.