Twenty-First-Century Management: The Revolutionary Strategies That Have Made Computer Associates a Multibillion-Dollar Software Giant

Founded in 1987 by Charles B. Wang, the little-known, Long Island-based Computer Associates International Inc. is a giant operation employing 8000 people in 100 offices worldwide. Supplying mainframe computer programs to the federal government, IBM, Xerox, AT&T, Coca-Cola and other corporate giants, it tallied 1991 revenues of $1.7 billion. Former Forbes correspondent Kestin describes CA as a dynamic, loosely structured entity partial to frequent reorganization and family-style decision-making. He applauds CA management's adamant opposition to hierchical authority pyramids, PR activity, costly furniture, doors on offices, memos, bonuses and perks (except for free doughnuts). But in arguing that such CA practices as brief policy discussions, verbal agreements, universal ``messy desks'' and voluntary 12-hour-plus workdays presage future characteristics of American industry, he is only partially convincing. (June)