Gerard Fairtlough

Explains the alternatives to hierarchy and shows how they can work in practice. This edition is suitable for those who want organizations to work better.

Looks at the 3 ways of getting things done: hierarchy, heterarchy and responsible autonomy. This book looks objectively at hierarchy and shows us why it has such a grip on us. It also shows how well the alternatives can work in practice. It is useful for anyone who wants organizations to work better.

" . . . I thoroughly endorse the book. . . Fairtlough is an excellent thinker." Napier Collyns "Takes Arie de Geus's thinking forward . . I have no hesitation in recommending it for publication." Gill Ringland "The most important aspect is the potential to legitimise the use of storytelling in a business environment . . and help management think outside the box." Arie de Geus Story-telling is one of the best ways for individuals, groups, organizations and societies to learn. Skill in story-telling and in other narrative activities allows us to understand complexity, live with uncertainty, communicate well and increase personal and organizational effectiveness. As organizations move away from old-fashioned command and control, they will increasingly need the bonds of shared stories, which create shared language, shared visions and shared values.

Small is beautiful--but how small is small, and what practical steps can we take to achieve its beauty? By the 21st century we may have found the answer: the creative compartment, a group of a few hundred people who work together in a totally open way. The intense communication within a compartment generates enormous adaptability and a creative problem-solving capability seldom found in today's organizations. In Creative Compartments, Gerard Fairtlough draws on his wide experience and on a profound analysis of the operation and interaction of small organizations. He sets out a clear agenda for organizational design, and his novel proposals will benefit anyone in any organization--large or small, business or nonprofit--that strives for continuing success into the 21st century.