Corporate Lifecycles: How and Why Corporations Grow and Die and What to Do About It

Summary

The book «Corporate Lifecycles: How and Why Corporations Grow and Die and What to Do About It» by Ichak Adizes focuses on the concept of organizational lifecycles and management methods at various stages. Adizes describes how companies go through phases of growth and decline, from birth to death. He identifies ten stages of the lifecycle: from «Birth» to «Death», including stages like «Infancy», «Adolescence», «Prime», «Stability», «Aristocracy», «Bureaucracy», and others. Each stage is characterized by its own features and challenges, requiring specific management approaches. The author offers tools and strategies to successfully navigate crises and maintain the company in the «Prime» phase, where it is most effective and viable. Adizes emphasizes the importance of adaptation and change to avoid stagnation and decline, highlighting the role of leaders in managing these processes.