Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom: How Online Social Networking Will Transform Your Life, Work and World [Hardcover]

"...provides a fascinating chronicle of social media to date that is heavily influenced by history and social anthropology." (SocialMediaMarketingUK.com, November 30th 2008)

"This is a valuable examination of a very real change in the way we all communicate and share ideas" (CIO, November 2008)

"...stuffed with well researched examples...It knits together the past, present and future in a highly readable narrative." (Web2Hero.Blogspot.com, January 4th 2009)

"This is a valuable examination of a very real change in the way we all communicate and share ideas" (CIO.co.uk, January 15th 2009)

"...a remarkably up–to–date book...clearly organized" (IP Review, January 2009)

"...turns social networking on its head, but also reveals that the change that is happening in the virtual world is revolutionary." (Business24–7.ae, February 2009)

"...want to know how social networking will become the digital nervous system of corporations, then this is the book to read." (Business XL, February 2009)

"...interesting book...most appealing thing about the book is its optimism." (BusinessAndLeadership.com, February 26th 2009)

"...the first general appeal book about the e–ruption that is reshaping our lives...explores the powerful forces driving this seismic shift" (Business Edge, February 2009) 

"...you′ll find this book educational and informative." (PersonnelToday.com, May 26th 2009)

"They do a good job of explaining the background and what is going on in cyberspace...well–researched, clever" (Supply Management, June 2009)

"This book is a must read for all – social activists, politicians or managers – who have an interest in understanding how our society is morphing."
–Professor C.K. Prahalad, #1 Management Guru and author of Competing for the Future

Synopsis
The rise of social networks like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo is changing the way we see ourselves, how we interact with each other, how we work and how we do business on a daily basis. Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom explores the powerful forces driving the social networking revolution, the impact of these profound changes, and the far reaching consequences of social networking.

Detailing the way social networks affects both individuals and societies as a whole, the book offers a detailed focus on the ways social networking affects the world of business and work. The generation entering the workforce today – and entering boardrooms everywhere – is fully engaged with social networking and its uses. Rather than feeling threatened and paranoid, today′s business leaders need to understand this phenomenon, accept that it won′t go away, and embrace its power in the world of business.

Excerpts from Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom:
"Your next CEO’s most impressive job credential might be status as an online gladiator, honing valuable leadership skills mercilessly slaying mortal enemies on World of Warcraft. Why not, the skills necessary to hack your way to the top levels of virtual games – especially a killer instinct – are excellent pre–requisites for managing complex organisations."

"Many senior managers mistakenly believe Enterprise 2.0 is a product, like the latest Microsoft office suite. They don’t realise that Enterprise 2.0 is not a cost centre, but a “state of mind” – a revolutionary new way of managing companies and conducting business.

Web 2.0 tools have no regard for “organisational boundaries, hierarchies, or job titles”. Try telling a senior executive that, henceforth, there will be no job titles, reporting lines, and organisational boundaries in the company – and watch the reaction closely."

"When someone calls a meeting, he or she is asserting authority over those who are invited to attend. Meetings are exclusive and closed. In most corporations, who gets invited to a meeting – and who does not – sends a signal about who’s ‘in the loop’. Meetings are a form of social grooming inside organisations. Meetings impose vertical authority. They establish status hierarchies. The Enterprise 2.0 model is feared in corporations because it threatens status hierarchies."

"Harnessing the dynamism of horizontal networks, Web 2.0 social media are bypassing institutional forms of social organisation and directly empowering people. This book has attempted to tell that story with illustrations, which, we hope, have offered intriguing and instructive insights into the powerful transformations we described. What has interested us most, indeed, is the transformative impact – or “e–ruptions” – of Web 2.0 social media on the three dynamics that gave this book its structure: identity, status and power."

Combining a pop sociology approach with rigorous analysis rich in economic history and organizational behaviour, Matthew Fraser and Soumitra Dutta have written a lively and provocative book about the global popularity of social networking platforms – from MySpace and Facebook to YouTube, Wikipedia and Twitter. Social networking sites are a global phenomenon. Sites like MySpace and Facebook now boast hundreds of millions of members. Online social interaction has become an indispensable part of their daily lives. Fraser and Dutta examine the powerful forces driving this social e–revolution, describe the equally powerful reactions to it, and make predictions about its long–term consequences.

The book is organized around three major themes: identity, status, and power. Following the explosion of Web 2.0 social platforms, identities are becoming increasingly multi–faceted, status is becoming more democratically based on performance, and power is being diffused from centralized vertical structures to horizontal networks. These are powerful changes with profound, far–reaching implications for how we organize our lives, our institutions, and our society.

Taking its title from the whimsical “sheep throwing” application used by members of sites like Facebook, the book concludes with reflections on the Web’s potential to revitalize social capital and civic participation through e–government and e–democracy. Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom will be enjoyed by educated readers with an interest in social trends, consumer behaviour, psychology, history, politics and economics.

Soumitra Dutta, PhD., is Roland Berger Chaired Professor of Business and Technology at INSEAD. He is faculty director of elab@INSEAD, a center of excellence in the digital economy working in collaboration with organisations such as SAP and Intel. His research has been showcased in the international media such as CNN, CNBC, and the BBC. He is a fellow of the World Economic Forum.