Microsoft's live change: Software giant adapts once more to the challenges of the new

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

Rosabeth Moss Kanter once captured the imagination of the management world by drawing an analogy between corporate behemoths needing to be nimble in order to compete and giants learning to dance. Well ballroom dancing is making a comeback, and even the most ill‐informed executive knows the difference between their rumba and their cha‐cha‐cha. Microsoft is the latest to take up the challenge of metaphorical classes in salsa. The spectacle is not unlike retired heavy weight boxing champion George Foreman packing away his ubiquitous grill and seeking to sway a younger more savvy crowd with a stylish pas de deux. It may not be for the purists, but it is a far from impossible dream.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.

Citation

(2007), "Microsoft's live change: Software giant adapts once more to the challenges of the new", Strategic Direction, Vol. 23 No. 2, pp. 6-8. https://doi.org/10.1108/02580540710724410