Innovation and Growth in Corporate Restructurings : Solution or Contradiction

Phases of growth and decline are part of every organizational life and are, therefore, constantly represented in the management literature. Companies anticipating or facing downturns often react with restructuring activities in order to reverse the declining business situation in the long term. Achim Schmitt examines the role of efficiency and growth through innovation within corporate restructuring efforts. He develops a restructuring model which deals with factors mediating (sources of organizational decline) and moderating (level of organizational slack) the relationship between restructuring activities and overall restructuring performance. The author tests the model empirically in the German-speaking consulting market for corporate restructurings. He, thereby, provides a state-of-the-art view of the factors and activities underlying successful corporate restructuring efforts.