Policy Politics and Gender or The Perpetual Enterprise Machine

Policy, Politics and Gender: Women Gaining Ground

Author: Kathleen Staudt

• Covers NGO, government agency, and international agency policies

• Addresses key policy areas, such as education and work, through gender analysis

Policy, Politics & Gender identifies and develops the connections between women’s politics and public policies and practices. Staudt focuses on political activism, underscoring strategies that have influenced great change in policies. By examining the realities of social change from all perspectives, we are reminded that every institution is a source of and site for struggle.

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The Perpetual Enterprise Machine: Seven Keys to Corporate Renewal Through Successful Product and Process Development

Author: H Kent Boeen

U.S. manufacturing is today in a critical period. As a consequence of new global competitors, changes in technologies, and significant shifts in national priorities, our manufacturing base has shrunk alarmingly and thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost. To address this problem, a unique team was formed called the Manufacturing Vision Group, which included members from five major companies (Chaparral Steel, DEC, Ford Motor Company, Hewlett-Packard, and Eastman Kodak) and four major universities (Harvard, MIT, Purdue, and Stanford). In The Perpetual Enterprise Machine, this group argues that the development project is the vehicle to change a firm's products, processes, and capabilities in order to compete successfully in today's dynamic business environment. The manufacturer that can execute successful projects - leading to new products and processes - will be the one that prospers in the years ahead. Projects become the mechanism for growth and learning for successful firms. The Perpetual Enterprise Machine outlines seven critical elements that outstanding development projects have in common, principles that can be powerful engines of success for the manufacturer facing the challenges of today's fiercely competitive environment. Successful firms recognize and nurture their core capabilities, which are uniquely defined by their hardware, software, and humanware systems and which are crucial to the success of projects. A guiding vision, shared by all members of the cross-functional teams has three levels of specificity. They push the performance envelope, using the immediate project goals to also push the company's capabilities along other dimensions (such as process technology). They have leadership, someone who can navigate uncertain terrain, who sees the project's essential elements from beginning to end, creating integrity in the project and its outcome. They instill the team with a sense of ownership and commitment, linking their personal success, st

BookList

"The Perpetual Enterprise Machine" is about the principles that drive outstanding development of new products and processes. The authors (from Harvard, MIT, Purdue, and Stanford) primarily draw from five companies (Chaparral Steel, Digital Equipment Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Hewlett-Packard, and Eastman Kodak) as they discuss product development across a wide range of industries. Of the volume's 14 chapters, the seven principles get one each, as do the five companies. The book outlines seven critical elements that can bring success in today's fiercely competitive world environment: illustrating how "core capabilities" across business functions can bring people together; explaining the necessity of a "guiding vision"; striving to "push the performance envelope" to cope with the rapidly changing competitive environment; stressing the importance of "leadership"; instilling the team concept with a sense of "ownership and commitment"; using "prototyping" to enhance learning and reduce mistakes; and "integrating within projects" to strive for systemwide solutions. The authors use their extensive scholarly and consulting experiences to blend theory and practice; their book is highly recommended for academics and practicing managers.

Table of Contents:

	Introduction: The Manufacturing Vision Group	3
	Appendix: Project Summaries	7
1	The Manufacturer's Perpetual Enterprise Machine	13
2	Core Capabilities and Core Rigidities	26
3	Guiding Visions	57
4	Pushing the Performance Envelope	88
5	Project Leadership and Organization	125
6	Ownership and Commitment	165
7	Prototyping: Rapid Learning and Early Testing	202
8	Integration Within Projects	229
9	An Opportunity for Leadership in Learning	264
10	Chaparral Steel Company	293
11	Digital Equipment Corporation	315
12	Eastman Kodak Company	349
13	Ford Motor Company	372
14	Hewlett-Packard Company	393
	Notes	427
	Index	433