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Discussing his forthcoming book, Randy Fields argues that hour-by-hour management is not just the next best thing to cloning a company's founder or chief executive. "In fact, it's better," he says, "because it goes beyond simple conformity to high-service standards, beyond mere consistency of product to high product quality. These are the basics of any serious business enterprise today and are best ensured by iterative command and control. But once ensured, the basics can and must serve as a platform for distinctively creative and individual performances. I mean, of course, the activities that people can do only with each other--selling, establishing relationships with customers, and providing moral support. In the end, hour- by-hour management is about freeing human beings to be human." The book, tentatively titled Hour-by-Hour Management and the Power of Consistency, will be published by Knowledge Exchange (310-394-5995) next fall.

Inc. Cover Story: Corporate Culture, page 42

Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life, by Terrence E. Deal and Allan A. Kennedy (Addison Wesley, 800-822-6339, 1982, $14), is the book that started the 1980s culture craze. The examples are dated by now, but the message--that powerful cultures really do make a huge difference to business success, even in the upper echelons of corporate America--is as timely as ever. Deal and Kennedy tease apart the elements of corporate culture and give you tools to analyze (and reshape) your own company's culture.

Creating Corporate Culture: From Discord to Harmony, by Charles Hampden-Turner (Addison Wesley, 1992), analyzes how several corporations (most, but not all, are large) transformed their cultures. The book is out of print but worth seeking out at the library.

American Steel, by Richard Preston (Avon Books, 800-223-0690, 1991, $19.95), answers the question, How does an upstart minimill outcompete nearly every steelmaker in the world? An award-winning journalist takes you inside Nucor and shows, through page-turning examples and anecdotes, what a difference a truly distinctive culture can make.

Nuts: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg (Bard Books, 800-945-3132, 1996, $24.95), has a predictably rah-rah tone (the authors are longtime consultants to the airline), but the company's 25-year history still makes interesting reading.

Culture Day at Southwest Airlines is open to the public. The quarterly event is free and covers employee training and benefits, marketing, and human resources. The company also solicits ideas for topics from attendees. The most recent Culture Day was expected to draw an estimated 200 people. For more information, call Linda Jones at 214-792-4645.

The Deadbeat Diaries, page 55

Our search for resources for this story gave us a taste of what Allen Shatto experienced trying to collect his money from Uncle Sam. After being shuttled from one government office to the next, we located more than a few starting points that could save you from collection hell, should you take on government contracts.

A summary of "Status Report on Federal Agency Prompt Payment" is available from the Treasury Department's office of Financial Management Service (202-874-6749). The four-page summary reveals that the Department of Defense has one of the worst payment records, but nearly half the 25 reporting agencies contributed to an increase in late payments in 1995.

Procurement Opportunities: A Small Business Guide to Procurement Reform, available free from the Small Business Administration (800-827-5722, or call your local SBA office), contains a wealth of information, in particular on resource organizations that can help small businesses working with the government. It can also be downloaded from the SBA's Web site; look under "Special Interests."

The Prompt Payment Act of 1982 was designed to encourage speedier payments to certified small businesses and nonprofits. It enables them to collect penalties from state agencies if their claim is not paid in 30 days. To get paid, though, your invoice must follow all the rules. Download a summary of the act from the Office of Small and Minority Business's Web site.

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