The Fractal Company A Revolution in Corporate Culture

The author describes the predicament of an industry which is coming under increasing pressure in the world market and is seeking new approaches to the challenges arising. Then, by drawing an analogy to the paradigm shift taking place in the natural sciences, he discerns the need for product engineer...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Warnecke, Hans-Jürgen
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Berlin, Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 1993, 1993
Edition:1st ed. 1993
Subjects:
Online Access:
Collection: Springer Book Archives -2004 - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
Table of Contents:
  • 1. Survival in a Turbulent Environment
  • 2. Manufacturing — Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
  • Changes through industrial revolutions
  • The question of factory location
  • Man and employment — aspects of sociology and ergonomics
  • The division of labor — a feature of an efficient economy
  • Why are successful businesses successful?
  • Outlines of some approaches from the USA and Japan
  • Cultural consequences are more serious than technical consequences
  • 3. Organizational Design — a Key Component of Strategy
  • More knowledge — less plannability
  • Service in competition — we are all suppliers and customers
  • Complexity and specialization
  • Information as a production factor
  • The factory of the future?
  • Order and chaos — two complementary views of the world
  • Structure formation through self-organization
  • The world of fractals
  • 4. The Fractal Factory — an Integrating Approach
  • Definition
  • The characteristic of self-similarity
  • The characteristic of self-organization
  • The characteristics of dynamics and vitality
  • An old rule: simplify and maintain order
  • Communication and information
  • Goal-formation processes
  • Navigation and control
  • Management and the workforce
  • Performance assessment and evaluation
  • Working hours
  • The way to the Fractal Factory — an exemplary case-study
  • 5. A Glance into the Future