Description
Book SynopsisA research-based approach to achieving long-term profitability in business What does it take to guarantee success and profitability over time? Authors Christopher G. Worley, a senior research scientist, Thomas D. Williams, an executive advisor, and Edward E. Lawler III, one of the country''s leading management experts, set out to find the answer. In The Agility Factor: Building Adaptable Organizations for Superior Performance the authors reveal the factors that drive long-term profitability based on the practices of successful companies that have consistently outperformed their peers. Of the 234 large companies across 18 industries that were studied, there were few companies that delivered sustained performance across the board. The authors found that across industries, the most successful companies were not the usual suspects found in the media, but companies who possessed a quiet agility that allowed them to quickly perceive and respond to changes so that they could
Table of Contents
Foreword by James O’Toole ix
Preface xiii
Chapter 1 Searching for Sustained Performance 1
Chapter 2 Organizing for Agility 25
Chapter 3 Strategizing and Perceiving 53
Chapter 4 Testing and Implementing 83
Chapter 5 Transforming to Agility 111
Afterword: Some Reflections on Agility 139
Notes 147
About the Authors 157
Acknowledgments 159
Index 161
