by Dana Ardi (Get the Book)The alpha model boss reigning from the corner office, issuing orders, and maintaining distance is slowly being replaced as the model for business success. What works better in the information age is the beta model management by collaboration, connection, and shared power. After years of advising Fortune 500 companies, Ardi has observed the evolution from hierarchic to horizontal management. Knowledge industry startups have provided the model that more traditional companies are beginning to adopt, and Ardi furnishes ample case studies of both. But she looks beyond the contemporary business world to provide history of the evolution of labor from hunter-gatherers to farmers, from the industrial to the information age, and the impact of globalization that makes the alpha model outdated. She also looks to anthropology, biology, genetics, psychology, sociology, and information technology for the social forces that have prompted a reexamination of alpha male-dominated organizational structure. Noting the potential of higher flexibility and creativity promised by the beta model, Ardi offers solid advice on how more companies can make the switch. An insightful look at a pivotal change in business management style. --Booklist
