Product Description

Collaboration is often viewed as a one–time or project–oriented activity. An increasing challenge is to help organizations incorporate collaborative values and practices in their everyday ways of working. In Creating a Culture of Collaboration, an international group of practitioners and researchers–from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, and the United States–provide proven approaches to creating a culture of collaboration within and among groups, organizations, communities, and societies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #878306 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 536 pages

From the Inside Flap
Meaning is all we want. Choices are all we make. Relationships are all we have. How can we create greater shared meaning and sense of purpose, make more effective choices, and enhance our interpersonal and interorganizational relationships? How can we work together more effectively, involve the full diversity of players, and still get things done?

Collaboration is often viewed as a one–time or project–oriented activity. An increasing challenge is to help organizations incorporate collaborative values and practices in their everyday ways of working. In Creating a Culture of Collaboration, an international group of practitioners and researchers–from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States–provide proven approaches to creating a culture of collaboration within and among groups, organizations, communities, and societies.

A practical resource, Creating a Culture of Collaboration integrates the underlying bases of collaboration with field–tested approaches and provides numerous examples of collaboration in action that illustrate the application of theory in practice. In addition, the book is filled with useful figures, exhibits, and tables that clearly illustrate and expand on the ideas presented.

Creating a Culture of Collaboration is written for group facilitators, organization development practitioners, public participation specialists, and any advocate of collaborative processes–people who are concerned with conflict, consensus, and change.

From the Back Cover
Praise for Creating a Culture of Collaboration

"Corporate executives, governmental policy makers, union leaders–anyone who finds collaboration essential for dealing with the complexity and high interdependence of the global economy–will benefit from Creating a Culture of Collaboration. So will researchers and consultants developing models of cooperation and facilitating decision–making communications, for this book combines the best and most current thinking on how to sustain collaborative relationships in and between organizations for lasting results."
—Alan T. Belasen, chair, MBA program, and professor of management, Empire State College, SUNY; author, Leading the Learning Organization

"The greatest strength of Creating a Culture of Collaboration lies in the diversity of its authors and their approaches to building organizations and societies that allow the widest participation possible. Rather than closing the doors and allowing only limited voices to be heard, this book champions a vision of a world in which everyone has something significant to contribute."
—David A. Hart, chief executive officer, Association for Conflict Resolution

"A great overview of the joys and challenges of building collaboration within organizations and creating opportunities for collaboration between civic society and governmental decision makers. This book has equal value for people concerned with organizational transformation and public participation."
—James L. Creighton, public participation consultant and founding president, the International Association for Public Participation; author, The Public Participation Handbook

"Corporate America is coming to realize that singularly, we′re stupid–but collectively, we′re smart! Collaboration remains the key strategy for successfully competing in a global economy."
—Kenny Moore, coauthor, The CEO and the Monk

"With its rich harvest of international examples, its frank discussion of the nitty–gritty of collaboration, and its penetrating theoretical insights into the nature of collaboration, Creating a Culture of Collaboration ought to be read by any leader who is interested in managing collaboratively."
—Steve Denning, author, The Leader′s Guide to Storytelling

"In this outstanding state–of–the–art resource, thirty–seven seasoned practitioners from around the world offer their insights on the deeper contextual issues that need to be addressed for collaboration to be embraced by any community. A must–read for advocates, leaders, and practitioners of collaboration in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors."
—Susan Carpenter, practitioner and trainer; coauthor, Managing Public Disputes

About the Author
Sandy Schuman is a group facilitator, collaborative process advocate, and storyteller. He helps groups create shared meaning, make critical choices, and build collaborative relationships. He is the editor of The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation (from Jossey–Bass) and Group Facilitation: A Research and Applications Journal and moderates Grp–Facl, the Electronic Discussion on Group Facilitation. Schuman is an associate of the Center for Policy Research, University at Albany, SUNY. His consulting firm is Executive Decision Services. Contact him at www.exeds.com.