Book Description

Organizational Behavior provides the essential knowledge base and skill set so that future managers can harness the power of employees and teams to successfully navigate the changing world of work.Organizational behavior is the study of individual behavior and group dynamics in organizational settings.It focuses on timeless topics like motivation, leadership, teamwork, and communication.The text presents the opportunity to know concepts, ideas, and theories, and to practice skills, abilities, and behaviors to enhance the management of human behavior at work.To make the book more relevant to the learner, we have enhanced and further integrated the subtitle Foundations, Realities, Challenges into the theme in the 5th edition. The reader will see the tie to the subtitle with new feature titles: Foundations (new title: Science), Realities (new title: The Real World), and Challenges (new title: You) that have a more contemporary and personal feel.This theme will be integrated throughout the text and supplements making a true integrated learning package.In this new edition, six new focus companies have been selected.The authors use the focus companies so that learners can see how one company responds to different organizational situations.The focus companies are a variety of company types, for example, Whole Foods, Pixar, and Canine Companions.The authors also make sure to integrate four organizational behavior key themes into each chapter.These supporting themes are globalization, diversity, technology, and ethics.Sub-themes are designed to arm future managers with the tools they need to meet organizational challenges. ... Read more

Book Description

Operator books are based on the principles of adult learning tomeet the reading needs of a shopfloor audience.Written at theappropriate reading level, these books are heavily illustrated withphotos and drawings.The text is set up with one concept for every twoto four pages so that it can be easily read in chunks; headers andassists in the margin make the significance of each section stand out. Each chapter summarizes main concepts and tools at the beginning andlists application questions at the end.This particular book presentsthe main concepts and tools from Hirano's 5 Pillars of the VisualWorkplace. Hirano discusses how the 5S theory fosters efficiency,maintenance, and continuous improvement in all areas of the company,from the plant floor to the sales office.It explains why the 5S's areimportant and gives the who, what, where, and how of 5S implementation. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Operational Excellence Team Member (Allvac)
This book does an outstanding job of conveying the need to start with 5s as the building block of Lean Manufacturing. The material covered is easy to understand and easily conveyed to the employees who are impacted by these practices. I would recommend this book to anyone considering going lean.

Excellent for implementation and study groups
In our plant we used this book to implement 5'S. It is very simple, but thorough. The text is very well structured to highlight the main ideas. We formed a study group with the implementation team and would read and comment it as we worked the particular details of our programs. We quickly saw improvements and are still working on building upon what we learned.

Just about touches the "5 S's"....Not detailed enough
I wonder if workers on a shop floor would actually like to sit down and read this book. This touches the 5S's (Organization, Orderliness, Cleanliness, Organized cleanup, and Discipline), but does not give a detailed description of how one is to implement this tool. I recommend another book "5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace", to have a more detailed description of the 5S's.

Effective implementation of this tool requires very high participation from senior management to make important decisions. I think workers will not be in a position to implement this tool, and so this book is not very useful.

5S FOR OPERATORS: 5 PILLARS OF THE VISUAL WORKPLACE
THE BOOK IS VERY HELPFUL SPECIALY IN MANUFACTURING. PEOPLE CAN NOW EASILY UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANT OF CLEANLINESS, ORDERLINESS AND DISCIPLINE IN THE WORK AREA THUS CLEANLINESS IS NOT JANITORS RESPONSIBILITY BUT EVERYBODY.

Very Practical Working Tool
This book gets to the nitty-gritty with a well laid out process to follow and brief, yet meaningful, examples of what to do and why. Great for all levels of employees to read and it only takes about 1 hour to get through. ... Read more

Book Description

This thoroughly research-based book— written by two experts in the field Fred Massarik and Marissa Pei-Carpenter with contributions from other well-known professionals— reestablishes the connection between theory, research, and practice and affirms core OD values. They emphasize the "personhood" of the consultant and client, the relevance of "feel" and intuition combined with fact and technique, and the importance of real people doing real things in real time holistically. In addition to these core ideas, the authors outline new viewpoints that are especially relevant in today's rapidly changing world. They explain that quick-fix linear approaches are not likely to bring substantial lasting results and OD must be rooted in the vast knowledge available about the human condition-recognizing the complexity of real life. They also show how value is the essential cornerstone of organization development. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Making Org Comm Understandable
I am a communication graduate student, so I've read a lot of organization communication texts and readers. I've read my Weick, my Mumby, my Deetz, my Jablin, my Putnam & my Poole. While I would never suggest that anyone ever forgo reading primary sources, who can argue that sometimes we just lack the time to read everything we would like to? That is where this book comes in.

This Eisenberg & Goodall book is not just an average review of the major concepts, themes and theories in organizational communication. It covers the concepts of org comm in more detail than most texts do. The authors also are very aware of the changes and challenges to organizations in the contemporary world, and included excellent chapters on globalization, outsourcing, etc.

Finally, Eisenberg & Goodall wrote this text interactively. It is the most dialogical of all the org comm texts I've read. This stimulates not just the memorization of fact, but deep-rooted thinking and contemplation.

If you do not know where to start when you look at the expansive landscape of organizational communication, this is THE place to start. After a thorough reflective reading of Eisenberg and Goodall, you will definately have a firm foundation to read the primary sources you want. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Peter Senge, founder of the Center for Organizational Learning at MIT's Sloan School of Management, experienced an epiphany while meditating one morning back in the fall of 1987. That was the day he first saw the possibilities of a "learning organization" that used "systems thinking" as the primary tenet of a revolutionary management philosophy. He advanced the concept into this primer, originally released in 1990, written for those interested in integrating his philosophy into their corporate culture.

The Fifth Discipline has turned many readers into true believers; it remains the ideal introduction to Senge's carefully integrated corporate framework, which is structured around "personal mastery," "mental models," "shared vision," and "team learning." Using ideas that originate in fields from science to spirituality, Senge explains why the learning organization matters, provides an unvarnished summary of his management principals, offers some basic tools for practicing it, and shows what it's like to operate under this system. The book's concepts remain stimulating and relevant as ever. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (55)

An inspiration...
The Learning Organization remains one of the most talked-of management concepts in today's business world, and nobody is as capable of explaining exactly what is a Learning Organization or what are the requirements for such an elusive concept than Peter Senge.

Senge's main thesis is that for an organization to become a Learning organization, it must embrace five disciplines:
1) Building Shared Vision so that the organization may build a common commitment to long term results and achievement.
2) Mental models are a technique that can be used to foster creativity as well as readiness and openness to change and the unexpected.
3) Team Learning is needed so that the learning is passed on from the individuals to teams (i.e. the organization as a whole).
4) Personal Mastery is the individual's motivation to learn and become better (hence the term Mastery).
and Finally
5) The fifth discipline is that of Systems Thinking which allows to see a holistic systemic view of the organization as a function of its environment.

However, this is not simply a book about management practice.. though it was written primarily for the use managers. This is a book about growth, improvement and continuous development. If you wish to achieve these results for yourself, your home, or your organization, then you MUST read this book.

Senge introduces his ideas and concepts smoothly and in an absorbing style. He is able to explain difficult concepts simply and by the end, you find that you have whole-heartedly embraced his belief in the Learning Organization, in fact, you find yourself yearning for it!

The Book that began a fad
This book was written quite a long time ago (in 1990) and shifted the boundaries of management from concentrating on silos (marketing, HR, finance, production) to looking at organizations as open systems which interact with outside systems and put into motion forces that may not be easily understood using traditional systems to assessment. This ability of Systems Thinking Senge called the "Fifth Discipline" , the other four being:
1) Building Shared Vision.
2) Mental models .
3) Team Learning.
4) Personal Mastery

The field of Systems Thinking was developed in MIT under Prof Jay W. Forrester, but Senge gae it the 'managerial' flavour, cross-fertilising it with folk beliefs , spirituality and scientific thought from around the world.

The belief being, once an organization has mastery of all the five disciplines, the organization can become 'a learning organization'. This book, therefore triggered the craze and fad on part of organizations to become 'learning organizations' and the rise of the 'knowledge economy' was perfect timing for it. Now when the hoopla has settled, it is time again to revisit the true essence of Senge's work and what he REALLY means.

Being a consultant who works in the areas of creativity and knowledge creation, Senge's work is like an ocean , which I visit time after time. And come up with an occasional nugget and pearl. It's not an easy book to read, but well worth the effort.

UWM Book Analysis
Most best sellers are based on some concept that they create their argument off of - Senge's concept is systems thinking. Unlike other best sellers out there, it is not just a personal journey the author has taken; Senge's book has a multitude of research and analysis behind his theories that makes the reader more willing to "buy in" to systems thinking. A little long winded but worth the read. Make sure to jump around to those chapters that appeal to you more.

Too Good For the Planet Earth
Senge is a demigod to many people. I spent in excess of $50.00 on this book and The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. Having read them both, I have no doubt that Senge in a smart guy. But there are some deeply problematic issues here.

Let's take a look at one of his pearls of wisdom. One of his central points is "today's solutions are tomorrow's problems." Some say that statement is powerful. But people can easily use such thinking as an excuse for inaction. A friend of mine (who never seems to accomplish anything) is always referencing this quote. If people in organizations are always worried about whether today's actions are going to cause problems, no action would be taken. The organization would constantly be spinning its wheels.

He also says that learning from experience is a "delusion." You pretty much have to believe that in order to believe this book. Much of this stuff flies in the face of what most of us have experienced.

Moreover, he insists that authoritarian leadership should be replaced with "team learning." But how can team learning exist without being enforced (by an authority figure)?

This book has good ideas- GREAT ideas. Too great for this blue ball we call the planet Earth.

positively excellent
All too often, I find myself acting cynically about my field and ready to dismiss just about anything as mediocre, no matter how popular or praised. Well, this is one book that I think is really excellent - for content, for clarity, for sincerity, for the stories reported in it.

When I plow through a business book, I try to see if I can remember the central ideas, the essence of what the author has to say from the mass of details and stories that make up every business book. Most often, they are appalingly banal and pathetically over-applied, touted as able to solve just about every problem, in particular if a fee is paid to the authors to come and talk about it in person. I was preparted to treat this book the same way, and was simply delighted to find a truly excellent and useful book. And gee, I am glad that I can get inspired by a book in my chosen field, rather than bored!

As I see it, this book has three principal ideas. First, we must think of organizations and their missions as complex systems rather than as conglomerations of isolated problems. It is pitch for the development of a holistic view - how everything interacts and what factors act upon what other factors. This is an analytical tool that can pinpoint what should be done, breaking mental habits of looking only at the bottom line of sales revenues, for example, rather than the need to provide better service or delivery times. Second, employees must be empowered to make their own decisions locally, requiring honesty and openness throughout the organization as standard practice. This enables them to question and learn, not just individually but as part of a unified team, hence the subtitle of a learning organization. Mistakes are part of this process and should be allowed as valid experiments. Third, the task of a leader is to design an organizational system within which this can all be accomplished. Rather than control all decisions in a centralized manner in accordance with a rigid plan, the leader must develop a vision of where they organization should go and then allow his employees to pursue that vision as a team with great autonomy.

I have wanted to read this book for almost ten years. It was first pointed out to me by a remarkable business leader in mainland China, Zhang Ruimin, the founder of the Haier Group, as a seminal text for him. He said that he had built a learning organization in accordance with Senge's prescriptions, and after so many years, I see that indeed he did. What this book did for me was to give me a better idea of Zhang's mind and what went on in it. But it has also given me a clearer idea of many other remarkable entrepreneurs whom I have had the pleasure and honor to meet over the years in my work. As Senge explained, these men had a vision, but used the gap that existed between their vision and current reality to inspire their workers to achieve remarkable things. And they created self-reinforcing systems to do so.

Another fascinating aspect of this book is that, in spite of being nearly 15 years old, it felt fresh and its examples did not feel stale and in need of updates. Many books that old extoll Japan as the model to emulate and explain why that country does everything better than everyone else. Just take a look at Porter's books! While this book has some examples from Japan, it does not fall into that trap - for me, that means its analyses have stood the test of time.

This is one of the best business books I ever read - and I have read way way too many of them! Warmly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

The Hudson Highland Center for High Performance recently completed the largestand most in-depth global study ever done of the factors that accelerate orstifle high performance. The alarming conclusion: only 10 percent of knowledgeworkers are part of a high-performing workgroup, one that makes money for thecompany and is creating a new product or service.

Contagious Success reveals Susan Lucia Annunzio’s proven strategies foridentifying, nurturing, and replicating business units that are already highperforming. These workgroups tend to be ignored while senior management focuseson fixing its lowest performing units. But Annunzio argues for the oppositestrategy: Focus on the groups that are doing the best work in the organization,learn their secrets, and help spread their expertise to the average groups.

Annunzio focuses on groups, not individuals, because even a great individualcan’t succeed in a weak environment.By using the high-performing groups toimprove just the top 20 percent of the average performers—what Annunzio calls"moving the middle"—a company can achieve dramatic, sustainable growth inrevenue and profits.

This is a book for leaders who want to unleash the hidden potential in theirorganizations. ... Read more

Book Description

o

A completely revised and expanded edition of the international bestseller (over 230,000 copies sold)
o This new edition includes an entirely new chapter—"Change: The Capacity of Life"—and the newest developments in the new sciences, updated examples, and even more accessible writing that will appeal to a much broader audience than the first edition
o Leadership and the New Science was named the Best Management Book of the Year by Industry Week magazine, one of the top ten books of the past decade by CIO Magazine, and one of the top ten business books of all time by Xerox Business ServicesIn a completely revised and updated edition of her bestselling classing, Margaret Wheatley shows how the "New Science"—the revolutionary discoveries in quantum physics, chaos theory, and biology that are overturning centuries-old models of science—provides powerful insights for transforming how we design, lead, and manage organizations. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A Good Read!
Author Margaret J. Wheatley describes how new developments in the sciences show us how to design a new, more effective organizational structure. The new structure is more responsive to human needs and to our rapidly changing times. Based on this understanding, you need to make your organization more flexible and adaptable. Using leadership and vision as a guiding force in an organization involves participation, self-management and shared information and power.

This excellent, thoughtful, break-through book offers a new way of thinking about organizations and leadership. In clear, compelling language, it emphasizes the ways we are all part of an ever-changing natural order. Wheatley explains the need to get rid of our old out-dated mechanistic models and adapt our organizations to prosper in the future. Our accepted analytical world view, based on using logical analysis and relying numbers to chart progress, should be replaced, Wheatley says. She makes a compelling case and urges organizations to become more effective by becoming more human and natural. We [...] recommend this pivotal book to leaders at all levels.

A Spiritual Gift That will Awe and Excite You!
Margaret Wheatley has indeed revised and updated her orignal book. This edition offers more clarity to the "new science" and in some ways is an autobiography of her growth and connectedness to the positve "energy" that guides and informs our ever expanding creation. Her new chapter, "Change, the Capacity of Life," is exciting to read for the clarity and universal spirituality emanating from her observations. If you have read her original "Leadership and the New Science," and "A Simpler Way," you will marvel at how this new chapter and her updating of others unifies "The New Science" and adds depth and wisdom to her life's work.

I work in a Jesuit high school and part of my job is to connect my community to the new world that is building all around us. This book is a gift to organizations worldwide and will help those who lead their organizations, no matter the size, to do so from a "personal centeredness" of trust and integrity. Her insights offer hope as we struggle with the great issues of our time.

New Direction in Leading Organizations
I was a bit skeptical about the book after the first chapter. However, after opening my mind to what the author had to say, I realized that she had some good points, which are applicable to everyday organizations and leadership.

The book could have been kept to under 100 pages without all the extra examples. Then again, I see how many examples can engage someone, especially if he is not familar with organizations. Nevertheless, if she would have stuck to her point that our current paradigm in understanding organizations is from the seventeenth century and illusionary that would have sufficed.

The book does not offer any concrete examples for working with systems instead of parts, which is the main point the author drives home. The author does offer a theoretical framework. The framework is a lot better because it is meant to apply to many situations.

This book is worth reading if one is familiar with old models of organizations and leadership. Otherwise, reading it will be too abstract and meaningless.

Interesting conclusions, lack of good argument
In this book, the author describes current theories in science and applies them to human organizational management. She develops a number of concepts that I think are applicable to organizational management, such as flexibility, greater communication within an organization, the importance of information, and valuing the intelligence of individual workers.

However, the reasons for applying these principles developed from science to organizations are not well established in this book, in my opinion. The applications may be valid, but a strong case for them is not made here. For example, one claim made to justify one conclusion is that "organizations are open systems and are responsive to the same self-organizing dynamics as all other life." (p. 97). This is a bold claim, to link life sciences to management, that is not well substantiated in the book.

The author seems to revel in the ancient (and ongoing) philosophical tension between the parts and the whole, calling us to look at the whole of a system, though rejecting objective reality (an ultimate whole), and with a bit of Gnostic thinking as well: "Matter doesn't matter" (p. 153),

Also, this is not an informative work, rather its intention appears to be persuasive. The author does reference many works in the scientific literature, but it is not intended to be a review or strict proof (I hope) of her position. Some aspects of science that seem to me to contradict some of her conclusions are not discussed, such as the order imposed top-down in the theory of relativity (according to my limited understanding of it), and the fact that some changes must be wholly destructive and cannot have positive effects (e.g., certain genetic mutations).

Again, some good points are made, but their basis is not well established here. As an industrial engineer, I do not think we should throw away all the current practices, and hopefully that attitude is not simply self-serving. I cannot recommend this particular book, but hope there is a more substantial treatment of these concepts elsewhere.

What science??
First off, the author is not a scientist. Second, the author tries to link PHYSICAL science with human leadership. I only read 1/4 of the book, and I had to put it into trash because I felt like barfing everytime I lay my eyes on it. If you think a non-scientist has any right to write a book with "New Science" on its title, then you should buy this book. Otherwise, stay away from this LSD induced junk. ... Read more

Book Description

In their landmark book The Machine That Changed the World, James Womack and Daniel Jones, two of the top industrial analysts in the world, explained how companies can dramatically improve their performance through the "lean production" approach pioneered by Toyota. Lean Thinking extends these ideas to provide a rallying cry for today's corporate leaders.

After a decade of downsizing and reengineering, most companies in North America, Europe, and Japan are still stuck, searching for a formula for sustainable growth and success. The problem, as Womack and Jones explain in Lean Thinking, is that managers have lost sight of value for the customer and how to create it. By focusing on their existing organizations and outdated definitions of value, managers create waste, and the economies of the advanced countries continue to stagnate.

What's needed instead is lean thinking to help managers clearly specify value, to line up all the value-creating activities for a specific product along a value stream, and to make value flow smoothly at the pull of the customer in pursuit of perfection. The first part of the book describes each of these concepts and makes them come alive with striking examples.

As Lean Thinking clearly demonstrates, these simple ideas can breathe new life into any company in any industry, routinely doubling both productivity and sales while stabilizing employment. But most managers will need guidance on how to make the lean leap in their firm. Part II provides a step-by-step action plan, based on in-depth studies of fifty lean companies in a wide range of industries across the world -- including Pratt & Whitney, Porsche, and Toyota.

Even those readers who believe they have embraced lean thinking will discover in Part III that another dramatic leap is possible by creating a lean enterprise for each of their product families that tightly links all value-creating activities from concept to product launch, from order to delivery, and from raw materials into the arms of the consumer. This new concept takes the best features from the American, German, and Japanese industrial traditions and recombines them in a way that can be applied to every economic activity, from long-distance travel to construction to health care.

Lean Thinking does not provide a new management "program" for the one-minute manager. Instead, it offers a new way of thinking, being, and doing for the serious manager -- one that will change the world. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Good Conceptual Overview of Eliminating Waste in Producing
Unlike most cost-reduction books, Lean Thinking has a strong conceptual underpinning for thinking about improving your operations. The authors move beyond the narrowest application of the lean manufacturing model (the original Toyota system) to explore key concepts like value (what do the customers want? as opposed to what do they choose from the limited options we give them?), flow (continuous production is faster and more efficient than batch processing), pull (letting immediate demand determine what is produced rather than sales projections), and perfection (thinking through the ideal way to do things, rather than just improving from where you are today somewhat). Providing this conceptual framework makes it easier to understand the benefits of operating a lean enterprise. People who did not understand the message in Direct from Dell would find Lean Thinking to be a useful framework.

One of the strengths of this book is that it is deliberately full of examples of companies which took traditional methods in existing plants and converted them into lean operations. I know of no other set of case histories half as useful on this subject.

The key limitation of this book is that most people new to lean manufacturing would not be able to implement solely using the book as a guide. The conceptual perspective, while being uniquely valuable, leaves the inexperienced person with few guideposts. Some of the key requirements are simply described as "get the knowledge" and so forth. As a follow-up, I suggest that the authors team with those who have done this work and write a hands-on guide. Much more benefit will follow.

If you are interested in understanding how a new business model of how to provide your products and/or services might work and what the benefits might be, Lean Thinking is a good place to start. Most executives and operations managers have never seriously considered going from batch to cell-based production. This will open your eyes to the potential.

Based on my many years of experience with improving business processes, you will actually need to go visit some of the companies cited to fully understand the issues and what must be done. I know that visits to Pratt & Whitney can be arranged and are very insightful. You might try to start with that one.

One area may turn you off. The cited examples moved forward pretty ruthlessly. That may not be your cup of tea. You may be reminded of some of the early reengineering. My own experience is that such changes can be done in a more positive and constructive way. Stay open to that possibility as you read the cases. They basically all use command and control to create more flexibility. You can also use other methods like those encouraged in The Soul at Work and The Living Company to create these kinds of results. Keep that in mind.

I recommend that everyone who uses batch and sequential operation methods read this book. It will open your eyes to great potential to grow faster and more profitably.

This is the business bible!
As a strategic planning consultant, I recommend 'Lean Thinking' to all of my clients. Some mistakenly view this book as a 'how to' for manufacturing companies. While it is, it is also much more. It is an attitude about business strategy. Waste, in any type of company, drains profits in one of two ways: as direct costs that they can see today, and as indirect costs when waste discourages repeat business. For any business manager worth his or her six figure income, this book is a must read.

Great, if you like stories about business.
I'm not sure who the audience is for Lean Thinking. Call me naïve, but I assumed it was written by Womack and Jones to help organizations analyze their business processes and eliminate muda (Japanese for "waste"), thereby improving overall performance. However, after reading almost 250 pages of anecdotal success stories, the chapter entitled "Action Plan," where one would assume resides the punch-line of the text, I was met by the profound advice to "Get the knowledge" by hiring one of the numerous experts in North America, Europe or Japan, and read some of the "vast literature" available on lean techniques. Reminds me of the Steve Martin joke where he tells you how to be a millionaire. "First, get a million dollars."

After reading Lean Thinking, I'm struck by the irony that while the authors recommend removing waste from the manner by which your products are delivered to the end customer, they don't take their own advice. The text could have been distilled from 384 pages down to five or six, since there's no real substantive instruction on how to implement lean principles. Then again, maybe I completely misinterpreted the intent of the authors as to their audience and it really was written for the business historian who enjoys reading about how Pratt & Whitney started in 1855. That must be it, because after I ponder the title, I realize that Lean Thinking is for just that, thinking. What I really wanted was a book entitled Lean Doing.

A Roadmap for Efficient Value Creation
Would you like to double productivity, cut development time by 60%, reduce inventory by 65%, reduce throughput time by 95%, reduce capital investment while doubling sales? Pre-existing assets, technologies, practices, organizations and concepts often cause enormous waste, i.e. activity which does not create value. This exciting book is about a way to do more and more with less and less - to create value instead of waste.

Lean Principles
1. Accurately understand VALUE (needs and preferences) from the customer's perspective.

2. Perform VALUE STREAM analysis. This will reveal three types of actions: 1) those that create value, 2) those that do not create value but are unavoidable in the present situation and 3) those that don't create value and are immediately avoidable.

3. After eliminating avoidable waste activities, make the remaining activities continuously FLOW. This requires the elimination of departmentalized "high speed" batch-and-queue "efficiency". It requires quick changeovers, "right-sizing" and close coupling of operations without buffers. The authors state that the results are always a dramatic reduction of effort and improvement in throughput.

4. Because of the radical reduction achieved in throughput time, you now are capable of Just In Time operations. You can now let the customer PULL the product.

5. Finally search for PERFECTION. Perfection is, of course, impossible. But the effort compels progress.

"Just Do It"
The lean approach is to "just do it" with dedicated cross functional product teams which often include suppliers and customers.

The beauty of this system is that it won't work at all unless everything works properly all the time. Thus 100% performance becomes an absolute requirement.

The authors present a number of very interesting case studies in which dramatic results were obtained. They conclude with advice as to how to get started - including a list of available resources. This book is especially well-suited to operations managers, but will also benefit any executive in a company that relies upon operational excellence as a part of their strategy.

(Robert Bradford is CEO of Center for Simplified Strategic Planning and co-author of Simplified Strategic Planning)

Russian edition of Lean thinking
This book was translated and published in Russia in January 2004. We find that it will be interesting and usefull for russian managers and companies. ... Read more

Book Description

From its inception almost 20 years ago, the goal of STRATEGIC ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION has been to provide a unified description of the incredibly diverse array of ideas that make up the rapidly expanding field of organizational communication. Sophisticated, yet accessible, the text integrates research from a number of academic disciplines, while maintaining a relaxed, engaging writing style. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Models of Change
The book addresses the issue of how to make change effective from a variety of viewpoints, including "war stories," a model of the different levers available to leaders, and an academic framework. I can also see that a workshop that lets one "twiddle the knobs" in Dr. Shapiro's model would be very helpful in understanding the interactions of the different levers for organizational change.

A practical must read
Creating Contagious Commitment shows us how to apply tipping point theory to organizational change. It is a practical book filled with information that is straightforward, easy to understand and apply. No wasted words, no fluff. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to implement an organizational change and do it right.

Easy reading, effe
There are many books on org change theory but very few make understanding and applying the theories simple. Andrea does an exceptional job capturing in plain language this often neglected aspect of business change. Regardless of the change theory embraced, she demonstrates how to get this message to your target audience and build "contagious commitment" for your initiative.

My client read the complimentary copy I gave her over the weekend and came back on Monday with 30 plus post-it page markers throughout!

This book makes the introduction of change management and leadership simple. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great book : Easy to follow and practical
I have the 2000 edition, I like it very much. Practical, easy to follow, great use of Theory of Games exemples.
Douglas Gilson, Management professor.Rio de janeiro, Brasil

Its in my top 2 textbooks for Economics Undergraduate
I've only used 9 textbooks in my undergraduate carrer in Economics, however, this book would probably fit either as the best or 2nd best... I can't really determine which deserves the "coveted" "best" slot.

To say firstly, this book passes the "I havn't attended class for the last 4 weeks and only have read the book, but still recieved an A- for the midterm" test. I think I can say in full confidence that IO is pretty much a standard course and this pretty much covers all the standard topics that any IO course would cover in one semester.

I used this book for a more "advanced" IO course (there are 2 in my university) and I used the book almost exclusively in preperation for my exams. I can say that the books appendices are excellent, despite th previous comment. It displays the material very concisely and in a very formal manner. The presentation in the appendices is not laconic and is very understandable.... I would have to say it achieves almost maximum effeciency with relevent material per page.

Actaully, for my case, the appendices were very much more useful then the actaul text itself. The level of mathematics does not exceed a standard non-formal multi-variable calculus level and is thus very accesible. With regards to applicability of the material, I found no problems in figuring out how the forumale applied with respect to the theory for the most part... However, I suspect if it is obtuse (for the level of maturity in the class) then the instructor would augment the text with problem sets and excercises.

The book starts off with a brief recap of the relevnt micro concepts and tools in the first chapter or so, then goes on to cover topics such as monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition, games in oligopolies (Bertrand, Stakelberg Cournout-Nash etc.). Then it goes on to less "theoretical" (at least in my opinion) topics such as advertising and its effects, price discrimination (1st degree, 3rd degree, bundling strategies etc.).

Overall there is a good mix of "real world" applications and core theory. I never read the numerous examples and unless the class specifically tests on these, I would think they are not needed for understanding of the material. The exposition found in the chapters (less the examples) are usually superb, although a bit wordy for my taste.

There are some problems asked after the end of each chapter, although very few of these employ much mathematics and hence, does not, in my opinion, work well as a gauge of understanding. It seems because of the length of the book, it lends itself off to the instructor to decide how to taylor his curriculum, I don't believe that any chapters are redundent, but I believe all chapters are essentially self contained (given that the reader had read or is competent in the material up to the 6th chapter).

All in all, I was happy with this book and believe it to be of superior stock, although this is pure conjecture on my part since I've only used this book and have only taken one IO course. With respect to flexibility the book deserves good marks and this is likewise true with respect to the exposition in the text.

Modern Industrial Organization
I was hoping to get a more indept explaination with example problems.Formulas were shown, but the author never really showed how to utilize the formulas.I have had to reference other books to try to understand this book.

easy book and good guide to understand the industry
For me this book is a very good guide to the people that like to learnmore about the way that the industry and the market works and the link tomany things that you can see all the time around you and could explain bythe economic theory, things that happend not only in United States also indifferent countries like Chile. Only bad thing about the book is the colorsin the graphs, maybe the next time could include more colors. And if ispossible try to translate the book to another language like spanish,because about this topic in spanish is very poor the number of books, andthe translation could bring the opportunity to more people to read aboutthis.

Well written
Extremely well-written book with plenty of modern-day examples.I used this book for my IO course at University of Chicago, and my only regret is that we didn't get through the whole book.It is interesting enough toread just for the heck of it though. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to international OB and management. Presented from a global, rather than a North American or Western European perspective, it offers a unique cultural perspective on the roots of organizational behavior around the world. Finally, the book acts as a guide to the changes that are not only reshaping organizations, but the ways we understand them as well. KEY TOPICS A six-part organization covers understanding international organizational behavior, managing it, its larger context, emerging issues, cases, and skills exercises.For any manager or professional interested in improving knowledge of the role of culture in organizations throughout the world—especially organization development specialists, expatriate managers, and human resource professionals. ... Read more

Book Description

Famous "Work-Out" change-management tool explained by the people who helped develop it.

GE's legendary Work-Out program played a key role in the company's phenomenal success over the past decade and has been implemented in many other organizations. Now three executives and consultants who developed the original Work-Out approach at GE­­often working directly with CEO Jack Welch­­discuss the inner workings of Work-Out and their experiences at successfully implementing the program at GE.

Filled with effective assessment and decisionmaking tools, The GE Work-Out provides concrete and realistic guidance for anyone who wants to implement Work-Out and break down bureaucracy and hierarchy within an organization.

Reviews (4)

Packed Wiyh Knowledge!
There's no denying the effectiveness of the Work-Out system at General Electric (GE). This book is a straightforward and comprehensive introduction to what Work-Oout means and how it helped GE achieve such astonishing results under Jack Welch, who introduced it. This clear, well-organized book makes it possible for any executive or manager to apply at least some elements of the work-out program in any organizational context. We do caution you, however, that the Work-Out program as portrayed here demands a great deal of commitment and moral fortitude from leaders. Empowerment may be effective, but it is rarely comfortable for the powers that be. Just ask "Neutron Jack."

Good Idea - Bad Book
I completely agree with the reader who said that this book could have been written much more effectively. It is nearly 400 pages and should have been no more than 25 to 50. Most issues or thoughts in this book while being solid are explained in far far too painful of detail with a great deal of redundancy. This made reading the book extremely wasteful of my time.

Perhaps the authors should have a "Work Out" on improvement of their materials.

Great. Lots of first-hand tips to turnaround a large company
Unlike other books on Six Sigma that focus on variation reduction, statistics and other tools, this book is full of practical examples of techniques and implementation tips. The focal point of the book is on the process of generating the turnaround in a large conglomerate such as GE. In this case the aspects of organizational behavior constitute THE critical success factor (rather than statistical/other tools). Workout has undoubtedly been fundamental for generating the cultural transformation in GE. This book is addressing these organizational behavior aspects in a pragmatic manner presenting a detailed road-map from planning all the way through implementation.
Most examples deal with administration/bureaucracy and I would have expected to read more on operational aspects such as value chain improvement in a Production/Logistics environment.
This book is a must for top managers that search for a generic methodology to translate their vision into reality.

Very Bad Buy
This is one of the worst books I've ever purchased. The ideas in this book could be fully explained in no more than two or three pages. I bought it relying on the CV's of the authors but it turned out to be a true dud. It rehashes the same ideas over and over and over and over. It's for the braindead. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Is your company threatened by turf battles, shut out of key data sources by territorial "lords," or ravaged by hundreds of "micro-companies?" If so, your organization may be suffering from a potentially crippling case of "Fiefdom Syndrome." Robert Herbold, former COO of Microsoft, presents a wealth of case studies from the usual (and always interesting) suspects--IBM, Proctor and Gamble, Microsoft, and Wal-Mart--to illustrate an affliction that affects for-profit and non-profit organizations alike.

Herbold identifies why fiefdoms are a problem, where they typically arise in companies--finance, HR, marketing, IT, virtually in most teams and departments--and offers solutions for preventing fiefdoms from cropping up and how to dissolve existing turf control. In an approachable manner, he demonstrates how discipline, creativity, and enforcement are keys to preventing the spread of fiefdoms: "The basic human tendency to want to control one's destiny or turf runs counter to discipline in an organization. If the CEO or the manager of a unit lets people act on their own, the company will soon fall into disarray."

Like headaches, fiefdoms can become a persistent problem and if left untreated, can send organizations into an endless loop of deteriorating health and repeated investigations into the cause. Prudent companies will take Herbold's advice and learn how to prevent and treat their little fiefdom problem.--E. Brooke Gilbert ... Read more

Book Description

Learn how to mobilize support, improve efficiency, and get things done!

Politics is an inevitable, legitimate, and even beneficial aspect of corporate and organizational life. Hard work and good ideas are not enough to ensure success-your ability to win allies and head off resistance is what really matters in today's corporate environment. If you don't garner support for your ideas, you could become an organizational casualty.

Get Them on Your Side outlines how to:

Book Description

How does emotional intelligence as a competency go beyond the individual to become something a group or entire organization can build and utilize collectively? Written primarily by members of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations, founded by recognized EI experts Daniel Goleman and Cary Cherniss, this groundbreaking compendium examines the conceptual and strategic issues involved in defining, measuring and promoting emotional intelligence in organizations. The book's contributing authors share fifteen models that have been field-tested and empirically validated in existing organizations. They also detail twenty-two guidelines for promoting emotional intelligence and outline a variety of measurement strategies for assessing emotional and social competence in organizations.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Valid Scientific Writing - misses detailed "How To" answers
After being disappointed by Cary Cherniss' book on "promoting" emotional intelligence, I was rather reluctant to spend money on this one, so I ordered a used copy through Amazon (very satisfactory: the copy I got was as good as new). I must say that I find my money well spent. In fact, the only reason why this book doesn't get 5 stars is that it's too scientific for practical application.

For instance, chapter 5 is correct to point out that most tests don't measure emotional intelligence, BUT emotional competence, and then goes on to warn us that a test as Bar-on's EQi test certainly has disadvantages, given it is a self-administered test (In my experience, self-administration of EQ-like tests is particularly dangerous for recruiting and other forms of evaluation). Of course, then the question becomes: BUT I want to test EQ in the context of work, how can I do this in a reliable fashion? You'll find the answer halfway chapter 6, which indicates that Behavior Event Interviews will do the trick (I agree with this, since that's what I experienced as well). Unfortunately, you won't find what kind of questions to ask during such an interview, let alone examples of how to do it.

Also, I was glad that the author of chapter 8 pointed out the same pitfalls of hiring senior executives I have been warning companies for. The suggestions that were outline come close to what we have been doing for several customers, but again the real, practical how to's are missing.

The chapters on training emotional intelligence in part three of the book were more useful than the book "Promoting E.I.", so there is no need at all to buy that other book anymore. Once again, these 4 chapters contain many of the messages one should have when working to develop EQ.

My critique: Except the scientific parts, I found that many of the more practical things this book covers, are "old messages" that can be found in works of Boyatzis, McClelland, Prochaska, Spencer and Spencer, ...

Conclusion? Buy this book if you need a solid scientific basis for your knowledge of emotional intelligence. As far as the how-to's are concerned, this book will serve very well as an outline and a checklist by which one can evaluate the quality of work delivered by a consultant - however, it's not enough to really go out there and "just do it". On the other hand, if you are a consultant recruiting or training for emotional intelligence, this is a MUST READ. Don't get caught not knowing what's in here!... ... Read more

Book Description

Teams -- the key to top performance

Motorola relied heavily on teams to surpass its competition in building the lightest, smallest, and highest-quality cell phones. At 3M, teams are critical to meeting the company's goal of producing half of each year's revenues from the previous five years' innovations. Kodak's Zebra Team proved the worth of black-and-white film manufacturing in a world where color is king.

But many companies overtook the potential of teams in turning around tagging profits, entering new markets, and making exciting innovations happen -- because they don't know how to utilize teams successfully. Authors Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith talked with hundreds of people in more than thirty companies to find out where and how teams work best and how to enhance their effectiveness. They reveal:

• The most important element in team success
• Who excels at team leadership ... and why they are rarely the most senior people
• Why companywide change depends on teams ... and more

Comprehensive and proven effective, The Wisdom of Teams is the classic primer on making teams a powerful too[ for success in today's global marketplace.

Reviews (11)

A strong working guide to team development and support.
This book is the result of research into why teams are important, what separates effective from ineffective teams, and how organizations can tap the effectiveness of teams to become high-performance organizations. Liberally citing research efforts in 47 specific organizations, Katzenbach and Smith share their insights into what makes teams work.

They emphasize teams as an important part of a three part cycle leading to a high-performance organization: a) shareholders who provide opportunities, b) employees who deliver value, and c) customers who generate returns. The performance targets in the high-performance organization are multidimensional, impacting all three cyclic contributors. Teams provide real benefits to employees, the result being an impact throughout the cycle. If employees increase the value they deliver, customers will increase the return, allowing shareholders to increase the opportunities available to employees.

Central to the thesis is their defini! tion of team, concentrating on "a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable." [45] The distinction is far more than semantic. Working groups who do not share all of these characteristics are not to be considered teams. "Unlike teams, working groups rely on the sum of 'individual bests' for their performance. They pursue no collective work products requiring joint effort. By choosing the team path instead of the working group, people commit to take the risks of conflict, joint work-products, and collective action necessary to build a common purpose, set of goals, approach, and mutual accountability" [85]

Katzenbach and Smith aren't completely negative toward working groups. On the contrary, they cite numerous situations in which the working group offers the most effective approach. But for turning ourselves into high-performanc! e organizations, the limitations of working groups must be ! overcome, and the power of teams must be harnessed, through increased risk. "People who call themselves teams but take no such risks are at best pseudo-teams." [85]

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS describes a Team Performance Curve that correlates team effectiveness against the performance impact of the team, resulting in the organizational path from working group, to pseudo-team, to potential team, to real team, and ultimately to high-performance team. The working group describes the organization of least team effectiveness, although not without performance impact. The performance of working groups, in fact, can be very effective owing to the individual contributions of the group members.

The pseudo-team - high team effectiveness, but usually less performance effectiveness - "has not focused on collective performance and is not really trying to achieve it." [91] The result is an organization that produces fewer results because of the forced team interactions. Th! e members are actually slowed down compared to the contribution they would make without the team overhead - as members of a working group. "In pseudo-teams, the sum of the whole is less than the potential of the individual parts." [91]

The "group for which there is a significant, incremental performance need, and that really is trying to improve its performance impact" [91] is the potential team. Higher up the Performance Team Curve in terms of both team and performance effectiveness, the potential team can be extremely effective when targeted at a problem or process for which a team approach makes sense. Unfortunately, in addition to the results attributable to individuals on the team, the increased performance brought about by the potential team is largely attributable to luck. Still lacking from potential teams are the commitment to a common purpose and working approach, as well as the mutual accountability inherent in real teams.

Finally, the high-p! erformance team "is a group that meets all the conditi! ons of real teams, and has members who are also deeply committed to one another's personal growth and success." [92] With a little reflection, any of us who has ever experienced working on a high-performance team knows it. We also quickly recognize how rare such opportunities have been. THE WISDOM OF TEAMS is a guidebook to creating a high-performance organization built around high-performance teams.

Teams must have the right blend of complementary skills, including technical or functional expertise, problem-solving and decision making skills, and interpersonal skills. "It is surprising how many people assemble teams primarily on the basis of personal compatibility or formal position in the organization." [48] The authors warn, however, that too much emphasis can be placed on skill mixes too early in the team process. In their research, they "did not meet a single team that had all the needed skills at the outset. (They) did discover, however, the power o! f teams as vehicles for personal learning and development." [48] As long as the right team dynamics are present, the necessary skills will materialize or develop.

The authors focus specific attention on the creation of teams at the top. "Team performance at the top of the organization is more the exception than the rule." [217] They cite several specific misguided beliefs that they find lead to lessened team effectiveness at the top: 1) the purpose of the team can't be differentiated from the purpose of the organization, 2) "membership in the team is automatic," [218] 3) the role of each team member is predefined by their functional position in the organizational hierarchy, 4) executives spending discretionary time on team activities is inefficient, and 5) the effectiveness of the team depends only on open communication. "This (last) all-too-common misconception equates teamwork with teams." [221]

These beliefs create obstacles to effecti! ve team performance. "The most practical path to build! ing a team at the top, then, lies not in wishing for good personal chemistry, but in finding ways for executives to do real work together." [230] Katzenbach and Smith are citing these problems particularly for the top, although they apply just as well to teams throughout the organization. Their prescription for breaking through these obstacles includes "carving out team assignments that tackle specific issues," "assigning work to subsets of the team, "determining team membership based on skill, not position," "requiring all members to do equivalent amounts of real work," "breaking down the hierarchical pattern of interaction," and "setting and following rules of behavior similar to those used by other teams." [230-234]

Katzenbach and Smith have provided a quick-injection standards program for teams. For quality professionals attempting to improve processes in their organization model, the authors have provided mater! ials at all three levels. Their definition of team - with its focus on complementary skills, mutual accountability, common approach, and shared goals - can be used as the basis for a Teams Policy Statement.

Making use of this book in our organizations will allow us to move beyond calling a group of people a team hoping it will motivate and inspire them. It allows us to move forward toward high-performance organizations with a process-based approach to continuously improving team effectiveness.

Why and How to Work in Teams
A good balance of case studies, step-by-step procedures, and advice for people who want or need to work in teams but are accustomed to working in organizational "stovepipes" or matrix organizations. People who have successful experience working in Integrated Product Teams and Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) Environment will find the principles and processes familiar. This book dates back to 1992 and reads a lot like a Harvard Business Review article, only of book length. The Department of Defense used this book as a source reference for their IPPD guide, and Integrated Product Teams have "taken off" since that time and are integral to DoD acquisition programs today. Nevertheless, this book is still worthwhile. The DoD did a thorough job of taking the "how to" information from this book and expanding on it to great detail. The mistake they made was to leave out the "why." The case studies, omitted by DoD, really put you in the middle of successful teams to the point that they will make you want to be on a team like the ones in the book. That is the missing element when converting an organization to a team-based work environment... step by step instructions are not enough. To succeed, the team members have to want to work in this difficult but rewarding manner. That is the main value of this book: it puts you in the picture and makes you want to succeed at teaming.

Complete waste of time
This book is a complete waste of time. In 40+ years I have never seen a published piece of work that is this poorly written. There is no way you can draw any conclusion about team effectiveness from the disjointed, incomplete cases prsented. Before these authors create another disaster I would recommend that they take a basic writing course. The book would only been midly anoying had the author understood how to form a basic english sentence.

My recommendation - rather than buy this book just throw your money in the garbage.

Good book, solid content
This book does not present any real "revolutionary" ideas that will blow you away with originality, what it does do is lay out the things that make teamwork work. Since so much in business nowadays requires teamwork, the book has a valuable and timely message. Recommended.

Boring
The message: real teams are good. The authors rave about all the great things a well functioning team can accomplish and give several examples.

The authors set out to figure out what makes a real team and how people that put these together do it. It is a worthwhile purpose. The problem is that the "insights" revealed are old and rather useless. For example, the authors found that teams that had clearly stated goals performed better than teams that had not agreed on common goals. If this is news to you, you should buy the book.

1 star out of 5 ... Read more

Book Description

In this third edition of their best-selling classic, authors Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal explain the powerful tool of "reframing." The authors have distilled the organizational literature into a comprehensive approach for looking at situations from more than one angle. Their four frames view organizations as factories, families, jungles, and theaters or temples:

• The Structural Frame: how to organize and structure groups and teams to get results
• The Human Resource Frame: how to tailor organizations to satisfy human needs, improve human resource management, and build positive interpersonal and group dynamics
• The Political Frame: how to cope with power and conflict, build coalitions, hone political skills, and deal with internal and external politics
• The Symbolic Frame: how to shape a culture that gives purpose and meaning to work, stage organizational drama for internal and external audiences, and build team spirit through ritual, ceremony, and story

  
  ... Read more

  Reviews (8)

  Making Sense of Organizations
  This is an outstanding book for people who want to figure out what is really going on in the organizations in which they work. If you cannot make sense of things at work these days, read this book. It is an excellent book on organizational reality.

  This book should also be required reading for all "managers." If you are trying to "run an organization," do yourself, and the people who work for you, a favor. Read this book!

  Finally, college and university professors should consider this book for their organizational behavior courses.

  weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org
  Reframing Organizations is considered by many to be a modern masterpiece. Today it is used as a class textbook by some major universities in their management and leadership classes. Bolman & Deal encourage leaders to step back and re-examine the operation of their organization through the use of various frames or windows. These different lenses can bring organizational life into a different or clearer focus. They allow the leader to view the workplace from different images to make judgments, gather information and get things done. The authors label four windows and name them the structural, human resource, political and symbolic frames. The purpose of the book is to examine the elements and advantages of the four frames presented by Bolman & Deal. The end result is that we learn the importance of stepping back and looking at a situation from more than a single p