Olmstead writes from an open systems perspective-a viewpoint of organizations that adapt quickly to turbulent, uncertain business environments-offering an integrated, understandable, and highly practical way to analyze, assess, and improve organization performance. He demonstrates how organizations actually function, and shows how they can identify and overcome obstacles by creating organizational competence-the critical elements that give organizations the ability to perform effectively in the modern business world.

Upper level students, scholars, and teachers will find Olmstead's book an important addition to their academic reading lists. For practitioners, particularly those in rapid response organizations, this book will be an indispensable aid in the struggle to keep their organizations up to date and abreast of the competition.