Surfing the Edge of Chaos
The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business
Chapter One
Of Colonies and Companies
Rapid rates of change, an explosion of new insights from the life
sciences, and the insufficiency of the machine model have created a
critical mass for a revolution in management thinking. The fallout
of the scientific renaissance has fostered uncertainty and
soul-searching. Executives ask: How do we make practical sense of
all this? How do we get the change and performance we need? Clues,
it turns out, are to be found in the world of the termite.
Come with us to a remarkable structure: the twelve-foot-high mound
of the African termite, home to millions of inhabitants.
The mound is an architectural marvel. Naturalist Richard Conniff has
described its perfect arches, spiral staircases, nurseries, storage
facilities, and living quarters that vary with the status of
individual termites. Tunnels radiate out from the mound more than
160 feet in any direction. These structures enable the termites to
forage for grass, ... read full excerpt from Surfing the Edge of Chaos: The Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business ebook
