In seemingly nano-seconds, world events change: political systems of

centuries are overturned in weeks without bloodshed, wars are begun and
ended in less time than it takes to complete the NBA playoffs or The Barclays
Premier League, secure political futures are jeopardized with overnight polls.
Firms that have been long honoured for excellence and success struggle to
maintain market share. Firms known for growth and expansion face the
unenviable task of downsizing and doing more with less. Service firms have
replaced manufacturing firms as the dominant organizational form. An
executive recently remarked that businesses that have taken over 50 years to
build can be literally dismantled in less than two years if executives fail to
adapt and change. In this more demanding and changing business context,
the need to find new ways to compete becomes ever more important.
Competitiveness has become a fundamental belief and goal that drives
executive behaviour. Losing competitiveness means defeat. Gaining
competitiveness becomes a constant quest. Finding new forms of
competitiveness becomes a necessity. In the last few years, executives have
begun to see that competitiveness is not based solely on product, technology,
systems, or financial engineering.


Organizational Behavior
Securing Competitive Advantage
John A. Wagner III

John R. Hollenbeck