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Title:
Managing in the New Economy
Review:
This book looks at first like a collection of articles by different
people, and edited by Joan Magretta. However, it is really a
collaborative work by many hands, arranged and directed by Magretta.
In the introduction the question 'Is there a new economy?' is posed.
Then various aspects of the job of managing, each of which has an
article to itself, are examined. The numerous ways in which managing
has changed are underlined. And the answer is that there is a new
economy, but that doesn't mean that everything has changed in
every way.
Magretta identifies three long-term trends, which have a significant
impact on every industry: the rise of networks, the growth of
knowledge work and the globalization of trade. Each aspect of
management is examined for the effects these trends have. The result
of reading this book is that you get an informed view of what really
is going on. Hyped and oversimplified views, which are ubiquitous,
are debunked. Sure, some things are changing, and in clearly
identifiable ways. But some things are not changing and we need to
know what remains the same. Some of the basic principles of
economics remain and human nature itself has not been eroded. It is
vital to recognize what is still the same in order to work with
what has changed.
Magretta remarks that 'articles about management tend to be analytic,
focusing on one dimension of what we all know to be a
multidimensional beast.' And indeed, each article concentrates on
some one topic, till we feel the depth of that topic. Then Magretta
synthesizes what the other collaborators analyze. She draws the
articles together, notes similarities and differences, and underlines
the larger structure inside which all these views fit together.
Part I deals with 'Competition and Strategy', Part II looks at
'Leadership and Organization' and Part III considers 'Ideas at work'.
There is an executive summary of each article at the end of the book,
and a short biography of each collaborator.
Instead of getting a set of Frequently Asked Questions and their
respective answers, we get a set of well-rounded accounts of
important issues, written by some of the best names in the field.
Nobody claims to be offering the definitive answers, and Magretta
points out that there are 'no silver bullets in this collection'.
This book is very well constructed and uses the best materials.
Free Pint Reviewer:
Simon Collery has been involved in editorial and research work for
the electronic media for a number of years, working for AND Data
Solutions, Oxford, and the Oxford English Dictionary Project. One of
his primary interests is the use of the Internet as a serious
research tool and a source of free, reliable information and software. He works for Free Pint on the business development team.
Purchase options:
Further reading:
Other reviews of Internet strategy books on the Free Pint bookshelf.
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