IBM: The Dance of Transformation

Name: IBM: The Dance of Transformation
ISBN: 9787111437901

Peng Jianfeng / Cai JingChina Machine Press2013

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Series: Huaxia Foundation World-Class Enterprise Best Practices Research Series
ISBN: 9787111437901

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Summary

This book is one volume in the "Huaxia Cornerstone Best Practices of World-Class Enterprises Research Series," edited by Peng Jianfeng and co-authored by Peng Jianfeng and Cai Jing. Taking IBM's century-long development history as its longitudinal thread and various dimensions of business management as its cross-sectional lens, it seeks to answer one question: why has IBM been able to complete transformation after transformation and remain a leader over nearly a hundred years? The book is divided into four parts: "The Heart of Change," "Soft Power," "Hard Skills," and "A Historical Review of Transformation." Part One discusses IBM's "four-part transformation suite"—from punch cards to computers, from the misstep of compatibility to platform reconstruction, from hardware to services, and from single-line technology to systems integration—and analyzes the leadership model and talent practices of transformational leaders. Part Two focuses on IBM's soft power, including the evolution of its philosophy from "Watson Philosophy" to "Blue Wisdom," the shaping and integration of the Blue brand image, talent development and performance-based compensation for IBMers, and its four-dimensional integrated knowledge management system. Part Three examines business practices such as R&D strategy, the IPD R&D management model, middleware and service-oriented architecture, the "Blue Cloud" cloud computing initiative, the marketing system and Global Services division, financial analysis, and strategic M&A. Part Four takes a century-long timeline to review key milestones in IBM's journey from a tabulating machine company to the Blue Giant, through its ups and downs in the PC era, and back to systems integration. The authors deliberately refrain from evaluative judgments, organizing public materials and institutional texts into a comparable map of management practices, with references appended. The book is suitable as a Chinese-language case study reader for research on corporate transformation and organizational change.

Editor's review

市面上关于IBM的中文书，多数来自记者式报道或CEO自述，而这本书走的是另一条路：把IBM当作一个可以被拆解的“管理标本”。作者把“变革心、软实力、硬功夫”三条主线并置，既有沃森哲学、蓝色智念这类理念层面的梳理，也有人才培养、绩效薪酬、知识管理、研发流程、财务协同等制度层面的细节，读起来更接近一份系统的企业研究档案。对于关心“大象如何跳舞”的读者，它的价值在于把戏剧性的转型故事还原成可分析的管理动作：领导层如何设定方向，品牌如何被重新定义，组织能力如何跟上战略。书中不少制度文本是首次以中文出现，对做企业研究、写案例或做内部培训的人尤其好用。需要提醒的是，本书成书于2013年前后，对IBM近年表现不做判断，读者宜把它当作历史与机制的分析，而非当下的投资或战略结论。

Who it's for

A good fit for

企业管理者与组织变革负责人，希望从标杆企业借鉴转型路径
商学院学生与案例研究者，需要系统梳理IBM经营实践的素材
人力资源、品牌、研发与财务等职能管理者，对照自身模块找参照
对IBM百年历史与美国IT产业演变感兴趣的普通读者

Not a good fit for

期待CEO第一手亲历叙事或内幕故事型商业读物的读者
需要了解IBM 2013年之后最新战略与财务表现的读者
只想要轻阅读、干货式成功学短文的读者

Reading tips

先读第四篇的百年历程，建立时间线，再回头读前三篇的机制分析，理解会更顺
可把“变革心—软实力—硬功夫”当作分析框架，边读边对照自己所在组织的现状
关注书中提到的制度文本与流程图式内容，适合做笔记或直接用于内部研讨
把本书与格斯特纳《谁说大象不能跳舞》对读，可看到外部研究视角与亲历视角的差异

About the publisher

China Machine Press China · Founded in 1950

In addition to science and technology and professional publishing, the books in our catalog from China Machine Press also reflect a sustained focus on psychology, computing, management, finance and economics, and social sciences. In psychology, the catalog includes works by C. G. Jung and introductions to analytical psychology, as well as applied topics such as stress and health, and addiction and healing. In computing, it features Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (JavaScript Edition). Management and finance titles include Administrative Behavior (4th Edition), The Price of Inequality (Collector's Edition), and This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly (Commemorative Edition). In the philosophy and history of science, there is The Worldview: The Third Edition. Relevant authors include C. G. Jung, William McGuire, Sonu Shamdasani, and Gabor Maté. Public information is limited; the above summarizes the publisher's profile based solely on the books in our catalog.

FAQ

这本书和《谁说大象不能跳舞》是同一本吗？

不是。本书是彭剑锋、蔡菁撰写的中文研究著作，由机械工业出版社2013年出版，系统分析IBM的变革与管理实践；《谁说大象不能跳舞》则是前IBM CEO郭士纳（格斯特纳）的英文自述，中文版由其他出版社出版，两者视角完全不同。

这本书属于哪个系列？

属于《华夏基石世界级企业最佳实践研究丛书》，由彭剑锋主编，丛书以第三方视角梳理世界级标杆企业的管理实践，本书是其中研究IBM的一种。

书里的内容讲到哪一年？

主要叙述截至2010年前后的IBM发展，包括云计算的“蓝云计划”等内容；IBM在此之后的战略调整与经营表现不在本书范围内。

没有管理学基础能读懂吗？

可以读，但书中涉及研发管理、绩效薪酬、财务协同等专业模块，缺少基础概念的读者建议先看第四篇历史部分和第一篇转型框架，再按兴趣选读其他章节。

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About the author

Peng Jianfeng Author · Chinese · 1961

Peng Jianfeng, born in 1961, is a professor and doctoral supervisor at Renmin University of China, chairman of Huaxia Cornerstone Management Consulting Group, and vice president of the China Human Resource Development Research Association. He is one of the founders of the human resource management discipline in China. He has long been engaged in teaching, research, and consulting in human resource management and has participated in projects such as the Huawei Basic Law, exerting influence in both academic management circles and the business world. His writing is grounded in Chinese corporate practice and combines theoretical analysis with case studies, focusing on the relationship between mechanism design, organizational change, corporate culture, and business performance, while continuing to explore the nature of organizational operation in the digital age and how senior executives can drive high growth. Seven of his works are included in the collection, covering topics such as talent mechanisms, organizational imagination, and chaos and order.