Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/63810
"IN THE INTERLOCKED CYCLES OF TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS ADVANCES, THE ISSUES COMPANIES FACE ARE NOT JUST ABOUT BUSINESS, NOT JUST ABOUT TECHNOLOGY. THEY ARE INSEPARABLY ABOUT BOTH. TECH NOLOGY ENABLES, BUSINESS CHANGES." —The Death of "e" and the Birth of the Real New Economy The End of "E" Pundits have been quick to tack a lower-case "e" onto every transac- tion of modern life, from mail to commerce. True, electronic capabili- ties have reformatted the way we communicate, the way we do busi- ness, and the way we live. But nowadays that "e" may as well stand for extinct, say Peter Fingar and Ronald Aronica—it's so pervasive that it has become simply a part of everyday life, and there's no point in singling it out anymore. Instead, they argue in The Death of "e" and the Birth of the Real New Economy, it's time to start dealing with the realities of an Internet age, and stop marveling at them. "In the interlocked cycles of technology and business advances, the issues companies face are not just about business, not just about technology. They are inseparably about both. Tech- nology enables, busi- ness changes," the authors note. In a series of minutely detailed chapters, they cover just how every aspect of busi- ness has changed in the Internet age, from value chain management to peer- to-peer commerce. Simple sketches illus- trate key points; hard data supports basic assumptions. Clear metaphors help readers under- stand the transformation from the monolithic "cathedrals" of large corporate business structures to the "bazaar" of the Internet. For readers without a good grounding in the complexity of dig- ital commerce, the authors provide three helpful indices: "The Dot- Com Crash of 2000," "The Pillars of the Digital Economy," and "Business Fundamentals of the 21st Century." Once familiar with these basics, readers can plunge into the main text, rich with information about understanding and adapting to the new realities of business. (Meghan-Kiffer Press, $44.95) Passion in the Workplace Everyone knows that wonderful feeling of falling in love with another person. Not everyone is familiar with feeling that same grand emotion for a job. Yet such passion is exactly what's needed in the workplace to ensure that workers enjoy going to their jobs, work hard while they're there, stay in a certain position for a considerable period of time—and contribute to their companies' productivity. In Transforming Work, hope and enthusiasm; grow content- ed, then bored; and begin to look around for something more exciting. If something exciting can be found in their current organizations, they'll stay. If not, they'll leave. "If the work becomes boring or they experience any of the passion pitfalls, then passion declines, some- authors Patricia E. Boverie andMichael Kroth apply everything we know about love to a completely different construct: a job. While passion ebbs and flows in a personal relation- ship, it can follow the same pattern in a work- ing relationship, they say. People embark on new jobs filled with "occupational intimacy," they will seek out workplaces that offer three balanced components: work that they love to do, work that is mean- ingful, and an environment that is nurturing. The ideal is appealing, though the times very rapidly. The individuals who were able to regain passion had looked about for their next chal- lenge, as soon as they realized they were in a plateau period or decline," write Boverie and Kroth. Learning and discovering are two of the keys to keeping passion alive at the work- place, they say—but truly pas- sionate workers also will search hard until they find the corporate environ- ment that suits their needs. To achieve reality is that few corporate models fit it. Companies that don't woo employees will have to change or fail, believe the authors: "One compelling reason for organizations to focus on creating passionate work environ- ments is the emergence of Genera- tion X as a dominant factor in the labor market," they write. "A mem- ber of Generation X will increasingly be able to set her or his own terms. Companies will be forced to create work environments where people actually want to work, to attract the talent they need to be successful." The future will tell whether or not this prediction comes true. (Perseus Publishing, $30)■ z BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2002 59