The follow-up to the acclaimed Organizations in the Computer Age this book, originally published in 1996, reveals that since computers had become increasingly linked in networks which span the world, information could be transmitted instantaneously to all parts of the organization. It describes the experiences of six organizations and draws lessons which apply very widely. The issues raised include: the impact on employment levels and organizational structure; the effects of network technology and organization structure and control; the extent of management choice; the role of change agents. This book shows that the introduction of computer networks raises new challenges concerning how the process of change is managed. The lessons from these cases could be widely applied in other organizations undertaking similar large-scale investments in new technology at the time.

Globalization, the information technology revolution, individualization and other processes in contemporary society all impact on organizations. This text analyzes the framework of these organizational relationships and the dynamics of identity formation and bonding on several levels.

Pivot your organization toward a more scalable and profitable business model. Digital networks are changing all the rules of business. New, scalable, digitally networked business models, like those of Amazon, Google, Uber, and Airbnb, are affecting growth, scale, and profit potential for companies in every industry. But this seismic shift isn’t unique to digital start-ups and tech superstars. Digital transformation is affecting every business sector, and as investor capital, top talent, and customers shift toward network-centric organizations, the performance gap between early and late adopters is widening. So the question isn’t whether your organization needs to change, but when and how much. The Network Imperative is a call to action for managers and executives to embrace network-based business models. The benefits are indisputable: companies that leverage digital platforms to co-create and share value with networks of employees, customers, and suppliers are fast outpacing the market. These companies, or network orchestrators, grow faster, scale with lower marginal cost, and generate the highest revenue multipliers. Supported by research that covers fifteen hundred companies, authors Barry Libert, Megan Beck, and Jerry Wind guide leaders and investors through the ten principles that all organizations can use to grow and profit regardless of their industry. They also share a five-step process for pivoting an organization toward a more scalable and profitable business model. The Network Imperative, brimming with compelling case studies and actionable advice, provides managers with what they really need: new tools and frameworks to generate unprecedented value in a rapidly changing age.

Since the U.S. Department of Defense initiated the development of networked computers in 1969, Internet technologies have rapidly advanced and revolutionized the way we communicate and conduct business. The second wave of the technological revolution came with intranet technology in the mid-1990s. With the intranet, organizations have strengthened the powers and speed of data gathering and sharing, communication, collaboration, and decision making within a firewall-protected organizational boundary. The third wave of this technological evolution, extranets, began in the second half of the 1990s. Many believe that it is the key technology enabler that is triggering a revolution in the structure and operations of many organizations in the new Internet-driven global economy. In addition to maturing Internet technologies, several technology drivers, as well as business drivers, further pushed the emergence of new types of organizations--virtual corporations, virtual organizations, extended enterprises, and trans-enterprise systems.

The thought-provoking, timely second edition continues to offer a comprehensive, global perspective on organizational communication. The authors multinational experience, consulting and teaching expertise, enthusiasm for their subject, and engaging style of writing create an inviting foundation for the exploration of this multifaceted topic. Each chapter demonstrates the practicality of theory and how practice contributes to the development of theory, while challenging readers to build on established knowledge to develop new approaches to the pressing problems in complex, multicultural organizations. The text is organized topically around the most important issues in organizational communication. Five themes recur throughout the chapters: the interdependence of internal and external forms of organizational communication, the disciplinarity and multidisciplinarity of organizational communication, global and multicultural perspectives of organizational communication, the unity of theory and practice, and critical thinking in the analysis of organizational messages and discourses. Discussions highlight language and symbolism. The authors weave analysis of the multiple levels of messages throughout the chapters; stimulate critical thinking about contemporary work and organizational life; approach the familiar as unfamiliar; ask probing questions about commonly accepted practices; and offer more imaginative ways of working together. Readers gain an appreciation for the social, political, economic, technological, and ideological contexts in organizationsand the place of organizations within the broader culture. The authors lead by example in encouraging readers to think about, talk about, and experience organizational communication in entirely new ways.

The Age of the Network offers leaders, managers, and teams a new, practical view of how to think about their companies and reinvent them without losing the value and knowledge that's embedded in their current organization. The Age of the Network delivers a rich array of advice and insights for starting the vital process of creating a networked enterprise. Lipnack and Stamps show managers how to focus on five essential team net (networks of teams) principles which include establishing a clear purpose and creating communication links. Next, they offer a guided tour describing how organizations can turn these principles into practice and evaluate their real potential for creating a networked organization.

Networks and networking are essential concepts that transform organizational, economic, and social practices. Human capital is both a source of competitive advantage and a value that allows individual employees to develop their careers and find satisfaction in their employment. The book addresses the vital issue of changes occurring in management and employment, with the growing career individualization, focus on future professional challenges, importance of knowledge workers, and possibilities of functioning in social and organizational networks. Workers’ networking competence is the main theme of this book. Much attention is put on differentiating it from other types of competence and other network objects, and identifying its behavioral manifestations, as the frequency of such behaviors can be used as a measure of an individual’s networking competence level. Employment-related variables and characteristics that affect networking competence are analyzed in depth, as is the impact of networking competence on career success and employability — thus laying a foundation for transformation in network organization management, employee relations, and individual career development. It will be of interest to researchers and students alike, as it clearly demonstrates a way to solve research problems in management science and provides new instruments for further research on networks and networking; and to organization managers and employees, as it offers insights into management and employment-related trends as well as guidelines for managing network organizations and building one’s career within social and organizational networks.