If the purpose of a business had to be condensed into a single phrase, it should be the acquisition of a competitive advantage. And as every manager knows, this is becoming more and more difficult day by day. On one hand, competition is intensifying, while on the other hand, traditional ways of gaining competitive advantage are rapidly diminishing, as even the most innovative strategies can now be relatively easily copied.

However, as David Nadler and Michael Tushman assert in their book "The Business Architecture," there is something that is difficult to acquire and also difficult to copy: organizational architecture, that is, the way the various parts of the business "connect" with each other to form a dynamic whole. Organizational architecture defines those organizational capabilities that ultimately differentiate a business from its competitors and give it its distinctive character.

This book offers managers a systematic approach for the thorough analysis and comprehensive design of their business, so that they can build a well-coordinated, rationally functioning, efficient, and effective organization.