We all know that American business needs fixing, and there is no shortage of prescriptions: imitate the Japanese, or follow the example of successful firms, or practice right-sizing. But these approaches do not work very well, says Russell Ackoff, because they only attack the problem piecemeal--and it is the entire system of American business that is flawed. In this revolutionary new book by a widely respected business thinker and pioneer in the fields of operations research and systems thinking, Ackoff underscores the urgent need to overhaul the kinds of systems found in America, from our...

Over the last three decades the average life expectancy of a corporation in North America has dipped well below 20 years. In fact, by 1983 a full third of the 1970 Fortune 500 companies had been acquired, merged, or broken apart. In this landmark book, one of the business world's foremost pioneers, Russell L. Ackoff, delivers this indispensable guide for those hoping to beat these odds--and to better navigate the corporate challenges of the next millennium.
While most business and management schools continue to teach the functions of a corporation separately--production, marketing,...

Here's why thousands of readers in business and management turn to Russell Ackoff for innovative and effective ideas: "Russell Ackoff has probably influenced more managers than any other living person.. Two of his books, Scientific Method (1962) and Redesigning the Future (1974), are the cornerstones of much of the theory and methods for systematic analysis of problems in management and planning." --APA Journal "Russell Ackoff is undoubtedly one of the great masters of this art." of storytelling as a means of conveying information]. --Omega, The International Journal of Management Science...

This prolific management author, consultant and teacher now has his most enduring pieces collected into one volume for the general business reader and student. Ackoff became prominent for his pioneering work in operations research and systems analysis and his cogent exploration of systems and planning, with their effects on business, form the backbone of this collection. He is considered one of the most versatile thinkers of our day, even beyond his management work. The essays included in Ackoff's Best range from corporate planning and understanding the difference between growth and...

"A witty, literate and, most of all, convincing reflection. Ackoff] shines an often bright light into corners where problems hide, showing the manager how to understand the consequences of his own behavior; identify real, rather than supposed, elements of problems; perceive another's aims; determine what is controllable; and deal with other nettlesome factors." --Inc. The Art of Problem Solving Russ Ackoff--author, consultant, and teacher extraordinaire. During his long career, he has shown thousands of managers, architects, engineers, attorneys, advertising people, software developers, and...

Health care, education, welfare, law the perceived success or failure of these social institutions is constantly being debated in the public arena. In this book, Ackoff and Rovin join the discussion, using systems theory to develop new approaches to governance, the structure and function of our cities, and civic leadership in general.
Each chapter tackles a different, important, and timely issue. The authors develop and present specific solutions, with the intention of starting a national dialogue about the structure and organization of American society. Their redesign, radical in its...