Silicon Gold Rush: The Next Generation of High-Tech Stars Rewrites the Rules of Business
Authors: Karen Southwick
Venue:  (1999)

:hotbed of activity for farsighted thinkers and determined doers, the high-technology industry has given rise to a pioneering group of entrepreneurs and executives that is not only behind today's most innovative technological advances, but at the forefront of a dynamic new movement in business.Armed with groundbreaking management approaches, the members of this visionary group are changing the way companies are modeled and offering new ideas on how companies should be run. Having helped their own organizations survive and thrive in a competitive, pressure-filled arena, they offer invaluable lessons for executives and managers in all industries. Now, in Silicon Gold Rush, their inspirational stories are told and their strategies for success revealed.Written by Karen Southwick, editor of Upside Magazine's book division, this enlightening behind-the-scenes account spans the gamut of emerging technology management styles, from proven successes such as Cisco Systems to new kids on the block like PeopleSoft. Providing valuable insights into a myriad of key issues, from nurturing creativity and motivating employees to finding new markets and weathering tough times, Silicon Gold Rush examines the modi operandi of the technology world's emerging stars and heavyweights. The book reveals the maverick leadership techniques that are finding their way into mainstream corporate culture with far-reaching consequences.Along with an overview of the high-tech environment, Silicon Gold Rush delivers in-depth coverage of the changing role of the high-tech CEO, the growing importance of the customer in the development and marketing processes of technology companies, the essentials of internalcorporate organization, and the increasing frequency of mergers and alliances. To illustrate the dynamics of the technology industry that make it so exciting and instructive to watch&mdash;the scramble for financing, the feverish move of product from design to delivery, the constant risk of failure&mdash;it tracks the progress of CrossWorlds Software, Inc., a start-up venture headed up by Katrina Garnett, founder and chief executive.Delivering insider analysis of the thinking and motivations that drive today's high-tech powerhouses, this eye-opening book presents fascinating interviews with more than twenty trailblazing CEOs and senior executives, including Yahoo!'s Tim Koogle, 3Com's Eric Benhamou, PeopleSoft's Dave Duffield, Cisco's John Chambers, and Novell's Eric Schmidt.A one-of-a-kind book that delves into the management ideas and strategies of high-tech leaders who are "rewriting the rules of business," Silicon Gold Rush is essential reading for anyone&mdash;in any industry&mdash;seeking the inside track on contemporary business transformations.KAREN SOUTHWICK is a veteran journalist who has covered the high-tech industry extensively. Formerly executive editor of Upside Magazine, she is currently editor of Upside's book division. EXCELLENCE BY DESIGNTRANSFORMING WORKPLACE AND WORK PRACTICETo prepare for the challenges of the next century and, in particular, to adapt to an increasingly unstable and fast changing global environment, all organizations must redesign themselves if they are to succeed. In the search for elements of this design, one has gone largely unnoticed&mdash;until now. A growing number of forward-looking managers are discovering the significance of the effectively developed workplace and the vital role it plays in improving business operations and increasing productivity in a variety of business and service organizations&mdash;from factories and offices to laboratories and financial institutions. Excellence by Design examines this important approach and introduces proven strategies for creating the workplace of the future.Based on a four-year research project conducted by the MIT School of Architecture and Planning's Space Planning and Organization Research Group (SPORG), this compelling book will intrigue all those concerned with improving work practices and workplaces. Excellence by Design introduces the "process architecture" framework and provides industrywide cases and examples. The book demonstrates how this strategy can be used across a wide variety of organizations. Process architecture will interest senior managers as well as engage space planners, information technologists, human resources managers, and work teams. This design process can be used to simultaneously improve both the workplace and the associated work practices.Readers will learn the fundamental objectives and elements of the approach and will come to understand the skills, attitudes, and values needed to effectively implement the framework companywide. Excellence by Design delivers comprehensive coverage of a critical issue facing businesses today: the optimum use of the workplace in achieving organizational objectives.TURID H. HORGEN is a research associate at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning. She maintains an active workplace design practice in the United States and Europe, working for corporations, governments, and institutions.MICHAEL L. JOROFF is senior lecturer at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, where he served for fifteen years as Director of the Laboratory of Architecture and Planning. He consults globally with organizations about their workplace strategy and organizational development.WILLIAM L. PORTER is Leventhal Professor of Architecture at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He is a former dean of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning.The late DONALD A. SCHON was Ford Professor of Urban Studies and Education, Emeritus, and Senior Lecturer in the MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning.A GROUNDBREAKING LOOK AT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING BUSINESSES TODAY.Often overlooked, yet vital to an organization's overall operations and productivity, how work space is used is becoming an increasingly critical issue for businesses to address. Based on a four-year research project conducted by members of the MIT School of Architecture and Planning's Space Planning and Organization Research Group (SPORG), Excellence by Design examines this important issue. The book explores how the workplace interacts with work practices, introducing proven strategies and providing a sound framework for creating the workplace of the future.Covering a wide range of essential topics, from the interpersonal and political dimensions of workplace making to the art of using tools for workplace and organizational transformation, Excellence by Design introduces the "process architecture" approach to creating workplaces.