Managing Complexity in Global Organizations

This book delivers new IMD insights on an emerging challenge - how to deal with overwhelming complexity. Global organizations face a complex decision-making environment. On one side, diversity of cultures, customers, competitors and regulations creates complexity; on the other, competitive pressures cause expanding countries to extract more synergies across products and regions. In such a climate, a new way of thinking, acting and organizing is needed beyond the familiar control mindset. Drawing together insights from across the expert faculty, Managing Complexity in the Global Organization presents IMD s framework on how to understand complexity and its four key drivers (diversity; interdependence; ambiguity and flux), along with solutions on specific issues in a variety of functions, industries and markets. The focus is on providing practical solutions based on real-life examples.

This book delivers new IMD insights on an emerging challenge - howto deal with overwhelming complexity. Global organizations face acomplex decision-making environment. On one side, diversity ofcultures, customers, competitors and regulations createscomplexity; on the other, competitive pressures cause expandingcountries to extract more synergies across products and regions. Insuch a climate, a new way of thinking, acting and organizing isneeded beyond the familiar 'control' mindset.Drawing together insights from across the expert facultyManaging Complexity in the Global Organization presentsIMD's framework on how to understand complexity and its fourkey drivers (diversity; interdependence; ambiguity and flux), alongwith solutions on specific issues in a variety of functionsindustries and markets. The focus is on providing practicalsolutions based on real-life examples.

Contributors.Foreword by the Editors.Acknowledgements.Part I Conceptual Framework and Trends on theMacro-level.Chapter 1 Managing Complexity in Global Organizations as theMeta-challenge (Martha Maznevski, Ulrich Steger, andWolfgang Amann).Chapter 2 The Complexity of Managing Corporate SocialResponsibility in Multinationals (Michael Yaziji and KarinOppegaard).Chapter 3 Opportunities and Threats in the Global Politicaland Economic Environment (Jean-PierreLehmann).Part II Impact of Changes in the Competitive Landscape andBusiness Models on Complexity in Selected Industries.Chapter 4 The Need to Look at Complexity at the IndustryLevel (Ulrich Steger and Wolfgang Amann).Chapter 5 Shipping Organizations - The Ultimate GlobalPlayers (Peter Lorange).Chapter 6 Managing Complexity Caused by Industry Dilemmas:The Case of the Automotive Industry (UlrichSteger).Chapter 7 Managing Complexity with an ElectronicManufacturing Services Supplier (Wolfgang AmannCarlos Cordon, Ralf W. Seifert, and Thomas E. Vollmann).Chapter 8 Managing Complexity in the Financial ServicesIndustry (Arturo Bris).Part III Solutions for Managing Complexity on the FunctionalLevel.Chapter 9 Breaking Down Complexity Management to theFunctional Level (Wolfgang Amann and Ulrich Steger).Chapter 10 Complexity in Global Business Strategies: TheCumulative Impact of the Crisis of Choices (Jean-PierreJeannet).Chapter 11 Various Dimensions of Complexity in EffectivelyManaging the Innovation Process - The Role of China(Georges Haour).Chapter 12 Managing Complexity with Management Diversity(Martha Maznevski and Karsten Jonsen).Chapter 13 The Role of Information in Creating ValueEfficiently (Don Marchand and Amy Hykes).Chapter 14 Dealing with Complexity by ManagingKnowledge-Based Competence of the Organization (KazuoIchijo).Chapter 15 Managing Complexity in Marketing and SupplyChains (Ralf W. Seifert and Wolfgang Amann).Part IV Additional Complexity Challenges.Chapter 16 The Price Tag of Ignoring Complexity in theGlobalization Process (Wolfgang Amann).Chapter 17 Managing Complexity in Mergers and Alliances(Ulrich Steger).Chapter 18 Managing Complexity: The Family BusinessExperience (John Ward).Chapter 19 The Future of Managing Complexity(Wolfgang Amann, Ulrich Steger, and MarthaMaznevski).Index.