New leadership strategies for the enterprise of the future
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/03055720610716629 |
| Published date | 01 October 2006 |
| Pages | 358-370 |
| Date | 01 October 2006 |
| Author | Arthur J. Murray,Kent A. Greenes |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
WORKPLACE INNOVATION:
ENTERPRISE OF THE FUTURE
New leadership strategies for the
enterprise of the future
Arthur J. Murray
Applied Knowledge Sciences, Inc., Boyce, Virginia, USA, and
Institute for Knowledge and Innovation, The George Washington University,
Washington, DC, USA, and
Kent A. Greenes
Greenes Consulting, Encinitas, California, USA, and
Institute for Knowledge and Innovation, The George Washington University,
Washington, DC, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine new leadership approaches for competing in a flat
world. Among the many demands placed on twenty-first century leaders is the need to develop entirely
new business strategies. Decision making must take into account many complex interactions and
multiple scenarios. Yet strategic time horizons are becoming more compressed, requiring shorter
planning cycles. Even if the right strategy is formulated, execution is often difficult. In addition, in
today’s dynamic market environment, both strategy and execution need to be quickly adjusted as
conditions change.
Design/methodology/approach – The nine-tiered framework presented has been successfully
applied by the authors in a variety of settings. The approach integrates top-down strategic planning
with bottom-up execution, all within the context of a knowledge-based organization.
Findings – The paper finds that the ability of an organization to compete in a flat world is enhanced
when all elements of the enterprise are in close alignment. A key role of the leader of the enterprise of
the future is to create and maintain this alignment.
Originality/value – Through the application of this framework, organizations can improve in
several ways that are critical to competing in a flat world. The main benefit is the improved speed and
agility that comes from close organizational alignment. Tight coupling of organizational elements
allows an enterprise to move closer to the goal of learning, innovating, and executing at the speed of
change in the marketplace. In addition, forward-looking organizations will benefit from: gaining the
ability to identify critical knowledge gaps, opportunities, and risks; maximizing efficient and effective
use of available resources; overcoming cultural barriers which inhibit execution and resist change;
improving organizational performance through better measurement and tracking; and more effective
leadership.
Keywords Business enterprises, Competitivestrategy, Leadership
Paper type Viewpoint
In the last issue (Murray and Greenes, 2006) we discussed the four pillars framework
(Calabrese, 2005) for building an enterprise of the future:
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0305-5728.htm
VINE
36,4
358
VINE: The journal of information and
knowledge management systems
Vol. 36 No. 4, 2006
pp. 358-370
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0305-5728
DOI 10.1108/03055720610716629
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