Acknowledgments

This book could not have been written without the cooperation of those individuals who provided me remarkable access to their organizations, participated in interviews, completed surveys, and permitted me to observe them at work. Hundreds of insightful practitioners spent countless hours with me, patiently and conscientiously answering each of my questions. They provided me a rich picture of the reality of organizational decision making—complete with all its challenges and pitfalls. I appreciate their candor and openness. These skilled and experienced practitioners taught me a great deal.

My students deserve a special acknowledgment as well. As they discussed many of the cases in this book, they offered distinctive insights based on their work and life experiences. They pushed my thinking and forced me to sharpen my ideas. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with so many talented students at Bryant University, Harvard Business School, and New York University’s Stern School of Business. These individuals remind me each and every day that a teacher cannot truly teach unless he strives to learn from, and with, his students.

I owe a tremendous debt to my colleagues with whom I have collaborated over the past few years on numerous articles and case studies. Many ideas in this book emerged from my work with talented scholars such as David Garvin, Amy Edmondson, Michael Watkins, Richard Bohmer, Lynne Levesque, Anita Tucker, Jan Rivkin, Sukki Yoon, and Brian Waddell. I have tried to give them proper credit throughout this book, as evidenced by the numerous citations in which their names appear. I want to especially thank David Garvin for serving as a mentor to me since my first days as a doctoral student at Harvard. He is a talented teacher and scholar with a deep understanding of management practice. Our collaborative endeavors have been a constant source of knowledge and insight for me. Amy Edmondson also has had a unique impact. She often points out how much she has learned from me. In reality, however, it is I who has done the lion’s share of the learning in our work together.

Several other academic colleagues have been extremely helpful throughout the research process. Joe Bower, Jay Lorsch, Teresa Amabile, Ralph Biggadike, David Ager, Mark Cotteleer, and Michael Raynor have influenced my thinking a great deal, provided me wise advice, and offered their support and encouragement over the years. Anne Smith and another anonymous reviewer read each chapter of the first edition carefully, and their comments strengthened the manuscript considerably. In addition, I am grateful to Bryant University for supporting me during the development of this second edition, as well as the Harvard Business School Division of Research for providing the funding for the original research.

Faculty cannot produce case studies and research papers on their own; they need a great deal of help from many talented individuals. My research associates—Erika Ferlins, Gina Carioggia, and Laura Feldman—worked diligently to help me develop many of the case studies that are described here. Dave Habeeb, David Lieberman, Melissa Dailey, and Chris Lamothe contributed their extensive technological skill and expertise in the development of two innovative multimedia case studies that are cited throughout this book and that have received widespread accolades from students and practitioners. Trudi Bostian provided superb administrative support during the writing of the first edition, and Andi Truax transcribed more hours of taped interviews than I could possibly count as I conducted the original field research.

My editors at Pearson Education have provided encouragement, feedback, and sage advice. I am grateful to Tim Moore for convincing me to embark on the original project and for being so supportive along the way. Paula Sinnott, Russ Hall, Jeanne Glasser, Kristy Hart, and Jovana San Nicolas-Shirley deserve my thanks as well for their work on this book.

Most importantly, I am indebted to my family. My parents, as well as my brother and his family, encouraged me to pursue my dreams at Harvard. I am ever grateful that they helped me make the wise choice to pursue the vocation of teaching. My parents are the best decision makers that I know. They made a courageous and astute decision more than 40 years ago when they left Italy and came to the United States, not knowing the language or precisely how they would earn a living. They sought opportunity for their children, and they sacrificed a great deal for us. Non potete leggere o scrivere l’inglese, ma siete piuàstuti della maggior parte didi professore e dei eruditi, compreso me. Grazie con tutto il mio cuore per tutti che abbiate fatto per me.

Finally, my children, Celia, Grace, and Luke, remind me always that learning can be joyful, that curiosity leads to wonderful new discoveries, and that play stimulates our minds. Their hugs and infectious smiles erased any frustrations that emerged as I wrote this book. I made the best decision of my life when I chose to marry the kindest and most compassionate person whom I have ever met. I am grateful to Kristin for her patience, understanding, and encouragement throughout the process of writing this book. With the utmost gratitude to her, I close with sentiments expressed by Nobel Prize–winning author Pearl Buck: “The person who tries to live alone will not succeed as a human being. His heart withers if it does not answer another heart. His mind shrinks away if he hears only the echoes of his own thoughts and finds no other inspiration.”

Michael A. Roberto
Holliston, MA
March 22, 2013