Business Climate Shifts

by William Trahant, Warner Burke, Richard Koonce, et al.

Book Overview

First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0750671866
• ISBN13: 9780750671866
• Release Date: November 1999
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Change through Leadership

After reading BUSINESS CLIMATE SHIFTS it was clear to me that this book was as much about leadership as about change. As a thirty year middle manager who has participated in both the planning and implementation of change, I was extremely pleased to read throughout the book that, although the companies were focusing on the customer, they all recognized the importance of the employees. The one common denominator throughout the book was that how management treats the employees is how the employees treat the customers. Although Colin Marshall at British Airways and Roger O. Goldman of National Westminster Bancorp. have distinctively different styles, they both recognized the importance of employees in the change process and demonstrated that leadership is key to effective and efficient change.Starting my career in government late in life, I have noticed a reluctancy of federal executives to get the rank and file involved in major change initiatives. I suggest that any government manager or executive contemplating change read BUSINESS CLIMATE SHIFTS. The lessons learned from those who have been there, both government and industry, are invaluable and provide a framework for developing issues and questions that need to be addressed before any major shifts or changes in organizational culture.

A personal look - a real opportunity to meet change makers

Just ordered "Business Climate Shift" at the recommendation of a friend. I am a consultant who works with corporations on training and e-learning strategies that support implementation of knowledge and skill development in rapidly changing market places. My work continually has me working with senior managers on business change issues. I am always looking for new perspectives on organizational change. What is interesting about the book is the interview format. A very interesting way to explore the subject. The interview style gives you a chance to draw your own conclusions and you get a personal feel for the context senior managers face as they address organizational change issues. I have found the interviews very engaging and the authors do a nice job of summarizing the key organizational change issues for each interview. Many organizational change books present models and theory. This one also gives you a view of the human and personal issues associated with leading major change initiatives. .

A Business-Oriented Book Useful to Not-for-Profit Leaders

As a college president, I read a lot of books about leadership and about institutional change. I found "Business Climate Shifts" to be extremely enjoyable to read, helpful, and relevant to a CEO of a not-for-profit. Although the idea of fast change seems like an oxymoron when connected to higher education, this book gives a framework in which higher education and other not-for-profits can operate. The helpful use of the living organism as a metaphor feels comfortable for higher education as does the book's use of scenarios -- something we are very comfortable with but often fail to use. In fact, the use of a metaphorical approach throughout fits with current thinking on the sources of visionary capability in leaders. The Organizational Diagnostic Checklist is worth the price of the book; it allows an organization to begin quickly the process of assessment and can be used throughout an organization. Educational institutions are very familiar with assessment, and this book fits directly into that familiar territory while giving it a business twist. The use of informal case studies and interviews makes the book easily readable and quite interesting. The chapter conclusions help focus the reader's attention on what has been read and demonstrate what has been learned from the case study. I found myself going back to them as a kind of review when I had finished the book. Asking people who have been successful to describe their own skills and approaches adds strong credibility and validity to the book. I feel certain this aspect of the book will make it useful as an educational tool for developing future leaders.

Fascinating look at the rapidly changing business world

As a practitioner in the change field, I found "Business Climate Shifts" to be an exciting look at how many public and private sector organizations went through tremendous change and emerged as leaders in their industries. The book's use of informal case studies brought to light how a strong customer focus or a charismatic leader could transform an organization. The authors made me think about the dynamic changes that are already occurring with the emergence of e-business, growth, and new technologies.

A highly readable work on emerging business trends

I picked this book up with high expectations and wasn't disappointed. The interview format with change-makers is conversational and engaging. Another feature I liked is the Chapter Conclusions ... kind of a Cliff's Notes that ends each chapter with wonderful clarity. This is a book that will appeal to readers on many levels.