In this exploration of the function of management, the author focuses on how companies work, challenging traditional assumptions from a "grass roots" point of view. He answers questions such as "how do organizations function and structure themselves?", "how do their power relationships develop and their goals form?" and "by what processes do managers make important strategic decisions?". He shows how the elements for successful business strategy is rarely born in solitary contemplation suggesting that they often come together in the heat of battle. The author is co-winner of the McKensey Award for the best Harvard Business Review article for 1987.