cover image Renewal Factor: How the Best Get and Keep the Competitive Edge

Renewal Factor: How the Best Get and Keep the Competitive Edge

Robert H. Waterman, Jr.. Bantam Books, $19.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-553-05226-8

In this complementary volume to In Search of Excellence, which Waterman coauthored, his emphasis is on change in business; the message is: renew or go under. He outlines eight themes. The concepts are these: good companies set direction, not detailed strategy; they treat all employees as sources of creative input; they have a high regard for facts; they anticipate crises and are ready to break long-standing habits; they stress teamwork and trust within the organization; they keep everything fluid and delight in ""bureaucracy-busting''; management's attention is visible, not just hortatory; they embrace such causes as product excellence and secure employee commitment to those causes. Change, i.e., renewal, according to Waterman, means opportunity for those who do not fear it. Major ad/promo. (October 21)