Lateral Management

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxiii

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2. Creative Destruction—The Digital Revolution and Its Consequences

   • Roland Geschwill, Martina Nieswandt

   Pages 1-26

3. A Brief History of the Management Ideas of the Twentieth Century

   • Roland Geschwill, Martina Nieswandt

   Pages 27-37

4. Cracks in the World View of Classical Management

   • Roland Geschwill, Martina Nieswandt

   Pages 39-61

5. A Brief History of Successful Lateral Organizations

   • Roland Geschwill, Martina Nieswandt

   Pages 63-125

6. Lateral Management in the Twenty-First Century

   • Roland Geschwill, Martina Nieswandt

   Pages 127-189

7. Back Matter

   Pages 191-192

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This book highlights lateral management as the answer to the strategic opportunities and challenges posed by digital transformation. Digitalization is now changing the economy and society as dramatically as the dawn of electrification a century ago. Production methods, products, sales structures, marketing, and even markets themselves are set to change in the digital era.


In addition to introducing readers to the concept of lateral management, and detailing the structure and functioning of 'lateral companies', the authors show how leadership and cooperation norms carried over from the 20th century need to be adapted for the digital era. They demonstrate the opportunities that digitalization offers companies, employees and managers in terms of enhancing their freedom, individuality, job diversity, and creative and innovative power. The authors also provide a unique management instrument, the 'Lateral Culture Index®', which measures the hierarchies of leadership; provide new benchmarks; and identify seven essential factors for lateral companies. Readers will learn how to implement lateral management in their companies and be familiarized with the instruments that can help them do so.    

• Digital transformation models
• Organizational change and digitalization
• New management ideas for digitalization
• Lateral cultural index
• Lateral organizations
• Self management vs. integrative management
• IT management strategy

• Denkwerkstatt für Manager, Eppelheim, Germany

  Roland Geschwill, Martina Nieswandt

Dr. Roland Geschwill is the co-founder of Denkwerkstatt für Manager, a Germany-based consultancy and training provider, and has been coaching and training managers since 1986. He has published numerous expert articles and books such as 'Der Rhythmus der Innovation' (The Rhythm of Innovation, Springer, 2015). 


Dr. Martina Nieswandt is the managing director and co-founder of Denkwerkstatt für Manager, and regularly works on consulting projects using the lateral management framework. Her book 'Fast Cultural Change: The Role and Influence of Middle Management' was published with Palgrave Macmillan in 2015.   

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