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In recent years, the need for new and innovative approaches to a turbulent and constantly changing economic and social environment have had a major impact on organizations and their ways of operating. It has led to the rise of non-hierarchical, flexibly organized institutions that encourage inventive approaches to unfamiliar problems. This book takes as its starting point the insight that successful organizations differ from those that fail largely because of their ability to meet ever-changing challenges with new and imaginative solutions. It seeks to answer the critical question: can effective ways be found to stimulate creative thinking and innovative practices in modern organizations? Its findings lead to a multifaceted description of insights and techniques available to institutions seeking to become more change- adept and innovative in meeting the highly dynamic conditions that characterize the permanent whitewater (Vaill)environment of organizational life today.

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