Searching for the Spirit of Enterprise: 2dismantling the Twentieth-Century Corporation Lessons from Asian, European

Bigger is not always better, according to Farrell, head of his own business consulting firm in Virginia, in this irreverent examination of what he considers the decline of U.S. corporate giants led by M.B.A.-toting managers. The disintegration of mega-corporations, he contends, is irreversible; he recommends dismantling them and replacing them with ``zero-based enterprises'' to emulate the success of the international counterparts Farrell visited in 30 countries. Although their size, style and founders' backgrounds vary, they ``fundamentally focus on the same things,'' especially products and customers. Unhampered by bureaucracies and ``experts,'' they combine vision, a sense of mission, the ability to inspire employees and a talent for highspeed innovation. While some large corporations--Caterpillar, General Electric and Xerox--are attempting to revive the entrepreneurial spirit, the author argues that starting over is the most effective option. (Feb.)