The Network Challenge: Strategy, Profit, and Risk in an Interlinked World

Networks and the Enterprise: Breakthrough Thinking and
Actionable Strategies

“This book presents an amazing collection of insights on underlying forces and ways to thrive in our post-Coaseian age–an age in which the centralized firm is changing into an agile and resilient network of participants. A must read for a world where unpredictability reigns supreme.”

–John Seely Brown, Independent Co-Chair of the Deloitte Center for Edge Innovation, and Senior Fellow at the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern California

“I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this research…I have already begun to put the ideas into practice in designing next-generation open innovation networks…the diversity of ideas and perspectives is truly amazing and will be a terrific resource to anyone seeking to move to new business models based on the power of networks for innovation, marketing, and creating and leveraging big ideas. Job well done!”

–Larry Huston, Creator of the “Connect and Develop” program for Procter & Gamble, and Managing Director of 4iNNO, a major Open Innovation consulting practice

“In our borderless world, every manager needs to understand the strategic implications of networks. For the first time, The Network Challenge brings together thought leaders from many fields–a team of experts as broad as the network challenge itself.”

–Kenichi Ohmae, author of more than 100 books, including the seminal work, The Mind of the Strategist, advisor on global strategy to foreign governments and scores of multinational corporations, selected by The Economist as one of five management gurus in the world.

Networks define modern business. Networks introduce new risks (as seen by the rapid spread of contagion in global financial markets) and opportunities (as seen in the rapid rise of network-based businesses).
While managers typically view business through the lens of a single firm, this book
challenges readers to take a broader view of their enterprises and opportunities.

This book’s 28 original essays include

CK Prahalad on networks as the new locus of competitive advantage

Russell E. Palmer on leadership in a networked global environment

Dawn Iacobucci and James M. Salter II on the business implications of social networking

Franklin Allen and Ana Babus on contagion in financial markets

Steven O. Kimbrough on artificial intelligence, evolutionary computation,
and networks

Satish Nambisan and Mohan Sawhney on tapping the “global brain” for innovation

Manuel E. Sosa on coordination networks in product development

Christophe Van den Bulte and Stefan Wuyts on customer networks

Christoph Zott and Raphael Amit on using business models to drive network-based strategies

Yoram (Jerry) Wind, Victor Fung, and William Fung on network orchestration

Valery Yakubovich and Ryan Burg on network-based HR strategy

Howard Kunreuther on risk management strategies for an interdependent world

Paul R. Kleindorfer and Ilias D. Visvikis on integrating financial and physical networks in global logistics

Witold J. Henisz on network-based political and social risk management

Boaz Ganor on terrorism networks

And much more...