Resilient Organizations
Responsible Leadership in Times of Uncertainty

This book studies the development of organizational resilience in the wake of a crisis.

Guia Beatrice Pirotti (Author), Markus Venzin (Author)

9781107164666, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 December 2016

172 pages, 20 b/w illus. 11 tables
25.5 x 18 x 1.3 cm, 0.46 kg

'Pirotti and Venzin address one of the most important and perplexing questions that executives face today: why do some companies sustain high performance in a turbulent, unpredictable business environment while most cannot? Drawing upon their own research and a diversity of wider sources, the authors offer practical guidance on how to build resilient enterprises.' Robert M. Grant, Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Milan

Recent financial crises have shown that firms need to create more robust business models. However, it seems that the task of developing resilience - a firm's ability to adapt, endure, bounce back and then thrive, despite the shock - appears on most managers' strategic issue list only after such a shock has occurred. Managers, through responsible leadership, can make explicit choices that will enhance their firm's resilience, increasing their chances of anticipating and avoiding these shocks. This book is the result of a three-year research project across seven industries, and is aimed at improving the understanding of why some firms are better than others in dealing with market turbulence. Pirotti and Venzin develop a measure for organizational resilience, identifying resilience drivers and demonstrating how firms can appropriate value from high resilience levels. It is a valuable read for graduates taking a course in strategy and global management and for reflective practitioners.

Introduction
1. Investing in the ability to withstand shocks
2. Measuring long-term sustainable performance
3. Authenticity
4. Customer centricity
5. Product focus
6. Geographical focus
7. Long-term orientation and strategic decision making
8. Process tools for supporting strategic decision making
9. Ownership structure, span of control and organisational design
10. Conclusions
Index.

Subject Areas: Organizational theory & behaviour [KJU], Management: leadership & motivation [KJMB], Business strategy [KJC]