The Collaborative Enterprise: Why Links Across The Corporation Often Fail And How To Make Them Work (British Commonwealth, United States, United Nations, 1993)

In today's highly fluid business environment, for disparate business units to work together smoothly is increasingly becoming a critical component of long-term success. Andrew Campbell and Michael Goold understand this, and in The Collaborative Enterprise, the two examine "how synergy happens, why it doesn't happen, and what managers can do about it." Using real-world examples, they first look at the difficulties inherent in such partnerships and propose solutions from three different perspectives: the parent manager, the business-unit manager, and the researcher. "Collaborative management can be a major source of advantage," they caution in conclusion. "But, for the vast majority of companies it is not just a nice ambition, it is a competitive necessity." --Howard Rothman