Joel M. Shulman and Thomas T. Stallkamp
Getting Bigger by Growing Smaller
A New Growth Model for Corporate America
FT Prentice Hall, 2004
What's inside?
Companies can foster big growth and small scale entrepreneurship at the same time with Strategic Entrepreneurial Units.
Recommendation
"Bigger is not always better" sounds right, but the patina of sweat on executive foreheads in boardrooms worldwide stems from the mandatory requirement to increase short-term revenues constantly in ever greater amounts. The problem with the corporate fixation on bigness is that size often brings a less desirable quality: unresponsiveness. That helps explain why the lifespan of the average Fortune 500 corporation is about 50 years. Now comes author Joel M. Shulman to suggest a mechanism your company can use to avoid that burnout lifecycle. In a sophisticated book targeted to tactical thinkers, he proposes that you consider the Strategic Entrepreneurial Unit (SEU). He explains that establishing a diverse portfolio of small-scale entrepreneurial enterprises within a parent organization can help convert a large, unwieldy corporation into a more enterprising, forward-looking company. And, then, he tells you how. This capably written, insightful manual is very soundly based on practical business realities and experience. getAbstract.com recommends it highly to business strategists and executives who guide the long-term well being of their companies.
Summary
About the Authors
Joel M. Shulman is an Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Babson College. He directs the global Shulman Review Program for investment professionals. He consulted for Ford, Freddie Mac, Kmart, Sears, UNISYS and the World Bank. His books include How to Manage and Evaluate Capital Expenditures. Thomas T. Stallkamp is vice chairman and CEO of MSX International, a provider of collaborative enterprise services. Stallkamp serves on the boards of Visteon Corporation and Baxter International. He teaches at Babson College’s Graduate Entrepreneurship Center.
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