Summary

This text is designed to help managers who have to deal with a complex environment, and who are often presented with "ready-made" solutions as to how to best organize their firm, to best use information technology. The book presents a simple and attractive framework within which managers can analyze their firm's environment and characteristics, and reflect on the most appropriate way - for them - to "put the puzzle together." It provides the manager and student with an integrated conceptual but pragmatic framework to analyze their situation. Courses examining the role of Information Technology in emerging organizational forms will find a well-grounded conceptual framework, illustrated with in-depth case studies. The book draws from the latest research in industrial organization, strategy, information technology, organizational theory, and leadership. It examines the individual puzzle pieces that have to be put together - strategy, structure, information technology, and leadership, and present the cases of three firms that were equally successful in putting these pieces together, while choosing pieces with dramatically different forms and adjusting them in radically different ways.The three in-depth cases included in the book are international:Oticon is a Danish firm with close to 1500 employees and is a world leader in the manufacture of hearing aids. Li & Fung is another, fist established in Canton and is an international trading company.Progressive Insurance which is the third largest insurance company in the US.