Lead from the center - How to manage divisions dynamically

no one needs convincing that in today's turbulent, competitive business env ironments corporations must be flexible and responsive. A host of forces ar e arrayed against even the most prescient strategist: technology, regulatio n, and globalization, to name only three. The question companies now face i s not whether they need to be nimble and quick, but how. Most of the advice on this score is remarkably consistent. Especially in la rge, complex, diversified companies, the prescription is "more decentraliza tion" - at the limit, an almost complete devolution of decision-making auth ority to the operating divisions and those people closest to emerging techn ologies, competitors, and customers. This point of view has been espoused s o often and with such conviction that one might even refer to it as the con ventional wisdom.