The Only Sustainable Edge: Why Business Strategy Depends On Productive Friction And Dynamic Specialization - Hardcover

John Hagel III; John Seely Brown

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1591397200 ISBN 13: 9781591397205

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press, 2005

Synopsis

Offshoring and outsourcing have generated substantial savings and often controversial news coverage for many companies. But these technologies aren’t even close to being the real story. Two of business’ leading strategy thinkers argue that the only sustainable advantage will come not from using technology to cut costs—but to get better faster than rivals. The authors identity two key forces—dynamic specialisation and productive friction that will dramatically reshape the competitive landscape and show what firms must do to understand, build and exploit these forces before their competitors do.

About this title

About the Author

John Hagel has served as a business strategist for 25 years and was with McKinsey for 16 years. Jon Seely Brown is the former Chief Scientist at Xerox Corp. and served as Director of Xerox PARC for 12 years.

From the Inside Flap

"Hagel and Brown s vision of new innovation processes is compelling and quite frightening. These disruptive forces will create exciting growth opportunities for the firms that harness them and will ruin those that ignore them."
Clayton M. Christensen, Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School and author, The Innovator s Dilemma and The Innovator s Solution

"As a practitioner working with global supply chains, I find this book captures the essence of our efforts to orchestrate loosely coupled networks on a global basis. This book is a must-read for all executives seeking to improve the performance of their global supply chain."
Victor Fung, Group Chairman, Li & Fung

"Intensifying competition in global markets calls for an effective business strategy. This book introduces fascinating views on how to renew strategic thinking with valuable insights on how to spur innovation and talent development."
Pekka Ala-Pietilä, President, Nokia Corporation

"The two great theorists of information technology, John Hagel and John Seely Brown, show the importance of talent development, specialization, connectivity, and coordination. This indispensable book is an absolutely fascinating guide for business leaders."
Walter Isaacson, President, the Aspen Institute and author, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life

"The authors brilliantly challenge conventional thinking with a penetrating analysis of the forces shaping the current business environment. This book is both intellectually powerful and downright practical, with straightforward questions and guidelines for business success in the global economy. It will force more than a few executives to rethink their strategies."
Robert D. Hormats, Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs International

"In a rapidly evolving global capitalist system, this book is the shortest path to survival and success it is a bible for the new connected age. It is an absorbing narrative, an acute assessment of the environment, and a must-read for everyone."
Vinod Khosla, General Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers

"The authors document the impact of globalization and provide a roadmap for competitive success through continual cultivation of distinctive capabilities. Their compelling message is relevant for those developing strategies for institutional survival in the private and the public sectors."
William H. Janeway, Vice Chairman, Warburg Pincus LLC

"Hagel and Brown brilliantly articulate the stages of evolution for organizations and construct a framework for creating sustainable value through accelerated capability building. This book offers a valuable guide for organizations seeking answers for operating effectively in a borderless world."
K. V. Kamath, Managing Director and CEO, ICICI Bank

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1591397200
• ISBN 13: 9781591397205
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 218