Book Description

What would the world of business be like if it were run by the Greek gods of yore? Would Apollo be the right man at the helm of Acme Widget? What sweeping changes would Athena make if she controlled an ad agency? While this might merely seem like an entertaining concept, it also happens to be an extremely valuable framework for understanding management styles and the corporate cultures associated with them.

In The Gods of Management, best-selling author Charles Handy uses four Greek gods to illustrate for managers the basic approaches they can use in their own businesses. When power radiates throughout the company from a top boss, that would be an example of a Zeus or "club" organization, one that investment banks and brokerage firms often adopt for their corporate climates. An Apollo "role" culture, on the other hand, results in a stable bureaucracy, such as a life insurance company or a firm with a long history of success with a single product. The Athena "task" environment emphasizes talent, youth, and team problem-solving, as we'd find in ad agencies and consultancies. And lastly, a Dionysius "existential" design exists to let indivduals achieve their purposes, as in a university or group medical practice.

In this thought-provoking volume, Charles Handy shows managers how to be aware of the cultural choices they can make to create a more productive and satisfying workplace. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Mesmerizing
It was a wonderful idea relate two concepts that seem so far in a book that explores interesting aspects in the dynamics of the management. I've been management years after having read this book and I`ve to recognize the huge help that the text gave me.
A must for those managers who still consider the mythos is just a cultural hobbie.
Wrong choice!
And I hope Mr. Harding you surprise with another book related with similar items.

Thoughtful, literate, insightful, helpful
Declaration: I like Charles Handy. I've met him and debated with him, and I've been reading his works from time to time over the last 7 years or so. I like the cut of his jib.

I'm a management consultant, specialising in business information systems, and Handy brings a fresh and challenging perspective, and a handful of very powerful and natural conceptual tools, to the business of understanding organisations.

He's also a pleasure to read.

Arguably the most philosophical among all management gurus
Many other management thinkers create new models and popularize them as their masterwork. Charles Handy is different. He just reminds us about things that have happened. Greek gods were already part of our civilization. Yet it takes one man like Handy to recognize it and analyze it so creatively

Fascinating organizational study.
This is a really interesting book. Handy uses the personalities of the gods to typify certain management styles. It makes the styles more memorable and easier to discuss with colleagues ... Read more

Book Description

Knowledge has always resided in organizations-but it wasn't until the Information Age put a premium on ideas that intellectual capital was recognized as a critical resource. Now, forces like technology, globalization, and the rise of free agency and virtual workplaces are bringing another form of "hidden" capital to the forefront.

In Good Company is the first book to examine the role that social capital-a company's "stock" of human connections such as trust, personal networks, and a sense of community-plays in thriving organizations.Written by leading knowledge management experts Don Cohen and Laurence Prusak, this groundbreaking book argues that social capital is so integral to business life that without it, cooperative action-and consequently productive work-isn't possible. The authors help today's leaders understand the nature and value of social capital, suggest ways they can encourage and enhance it, and explore how they can protect this vital but increasingly vulnerable resource in a volatile, virtual world.

Drawing on major social and economic theories, and the experiences of organizations including the World Bank, Aventis Pharma, Alcoa, Russell Reynolds, and UPS, In Good Company identifies the social elements that contribute to knowledge sharing, innovation, and high productivity. The authors convincingly show how almost every managerial decision-from hiring, firing, and promotion to implementing new technologies to designing office space-is an opportunity for social capital investment or loss.They also reveal the benefits that derive from investments in social capital, such as greater commitment and cooperation, increased talent retention, and more intelligent responses to customer needs.

A landmark book on the critical role that relationships play in organizational success, In Good Company helps employees at all levels recognize the power of social capital to help people work better, and make organizations better places to work. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Work as Social Process
Why do new CEOs staff the company with their men?
Why are women under-represented un the business world?
Why could some succeed in launching and establishing new enterprises while other couldn¡¯t manage do so?
Why are the MBA degree craved, while there is no link between MBA results and future salary?
Social capital is supposed to be the answer to these questions. Social capital is widely exploited to emphasize the social nature of work: the work is the social process. Previously, corporate culture is used to point out such a nature. Organization¡¯s culture means the set of rites and rituals that give it its unique character. Culture is the ¡®way things are done around here.¡¯ The HP way, for example, the open-plan, walkabout management style laid down in the 1950s, by Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, a style that still imbues the company today. But culture is a elusive concept. It¡¯s too soft to be managed. One executive asserted that ¡®the only culture round here is in the yoghurts in the canteen.¡¯ Nevertheless, though too soft to grasp, it¡¯s very real one. So many M&As have been botched for clashes between corporate cultures. It¡¯s real but too elusive to manage and grasp. Social capital is introduced to ground it on tangible material base. Then what is social capital? Social capital refers attributes like trust, commitment, attachment and so forth which belongs to active connections among people, in other word, network and community.
When the God decided to put a stop to human-being¡¯s first great collective enterprise, he confused their language so they could no longer understand one another, and could not carry out the joint project, Tower of Babel. Carry a heavy stone could be done without words. The real problem was the loss of understanding that cannot be mimed or diagrammed. Without common speech, the tower¡¯s planners could not have inspired others to join the project, workers could not have learned to trust each other¡¯s judgment, resolve unexpected problems together, or count on each other¡¯s help in dangerous situations. In other words, what they lost was not just common language, but the social capital which was probably more critical than the failure of information exchange.
Some schools in economics of organization characterized the firm as the flow of information. It¡¯s hard to deny. In this regard, however, corporate culture is no more than each company¡¯s idiosyncratic frame to each processing info: the firm is no more than a cybernetic system. But the firm is a social process built on community and network. Culture is what resides in community and network within personnel.
Moreover, organization¡¯s knowledge and capabilities lies not in official hierarchy but in unofficial community of practice. Most job training occurs after workers join a firm. They learn by dong on the shop floor. There is always a manual that describes how to operate a particular machine or conduct a job. As times passes, however, workers are apt to devise better ways to do the job and surpass the manual. And this is the collective process. As they work together, knowledge slowly moves from person to person. Network and community are not only the repository of corporate knowledge and capacities, but also the incubator of collaboration, especially voluntary collaboration that does not rely on external incentives. They help create and sustain our personal identities, the intrinsic satisfactions of praise, respect, and gratitude from fellow members. Those have more meaning and power than little prizes or even monetary rewards.
Now, I think, you¡¯ve got what is social capital. Above, I followed the style of the book which does not burden the reader with abstract concepts, but illustrate the picture of social capital with real world examples, to enlighten readers to the practical meaning of social capital in their own workplace. With closing the last page. I bet you get the crux and import of social capital.

I was glad someone noticed!
This is a good and helpful read. While Cohen and Prusak do tend to say a lot of things that one has a gut feeling of but has never read or heard someone say aloud about working relationships, some of it was really fascinating. They have a particularly interesting chapter on chat and storytelling and the functions those activities serve at work. The theme of the book is that organizations should invest in social capital the way they invest in other kinds of capital, but that such investments can't be faked. Workers know when the love is real, so to speak.

The writers address particularly cogent trends of telecommuting and volatile industries and how those can cause stress in organizations because they lower social capital. They had some interesting points. One thing I particularly responded to was the chapter on trust. They wrote that when someone says their organization is particularly political, what they are saying is
that there is very low trust. Another thing they wrote that really interested me is that the virtual office isn't going to succeed - and hasn't as predicted - because work is an inherently social activity. That's one of the reasons people like it and are dedicated to it. Not that many people are ever going to want to work at home in their pajamas - every single day. They also suggest that money isn't the only effective lure for new talent or retainer of current employees. They write that if talent can just be bought, it will be, but if you create high social capital in your organizations, money alone won't be able to suck the talented people from your offices.

[The book made me want to read more by Chris Argyris, who is an organizational pyschologist at Harvard, and the book "The Social Life of Information."]

Pointing Out the Intangible Values of Positive Connection
"Social capital consists of the stock of active connections among people, the trust, mutual understanding, and shared values and behaviors that bind the members of human networks and communities and make cooperative action possible." What is new about this book is that it applies this sociological concept to business enterprises.

As the authors point out, having more social capital inside an organization is good, but it is not sufficient to create a successful enterprise. Digital Equipment is used as an example of this point. Also, organizations can have social capital and be serving harmful ends (the Nazis are used as an example).

The authors feel that there are important limits to what free agency, telecommuting, virtual organizations, and hoteling offices can accomplish because their basis in social capital will be weaker.

On the positive side, they argue for hiring and encouraging people who fit the values and culture of the organization, and creating an environment in which social capital will build. To do this, companies should actively take steps that build trust, networks and communication through making appropriate spaces and time available, and help people learn through effective story telling.

The benefits of this approach will be better knowledge sharing, lower transaction costs, lower turnover of key employees, better coherence of action due to organizational stability and more shared understanding. You may also see more creativity if people are allowed to experience the intrinsic pleasures of making the future.

I thought that the best part of this book was in the detailed look at the various kinds of stories that organizations tell and what their purposes are. This book extended my understanding of that subject, which is an important one for communications.

The main drawback of the book is that it does not address social capital in terms of the connections between the individuals in the organization and most stakeholders (like customers, suppliers, partners, owners, lenders, and the communities the company serves). These connections are more important in those dimensions discussed in the book than the equivalent connections within the company. So this omission is a pretty significant limitation of the book.

The major secondary drawback of the book is that those who work in organizations like the ones described here with lots of social capital (UPS, SAS Institute, and J & J) will probably find little that is new. For those who are insensitive to the importance of social connections, this book will seem too amorphous and nonquantitative to change minds. If the target is to make those with low emotional intelligence become more effective and supportive, this book won't make the grade. It's preaching to the choir, without enough discipline in defining its prescriptions. For example, the book argues that cubicles with lots of sight lines are great for improving communications. But those who need quiet time and places to work for extended periods will tell you that cubicles drive them up the wall and reduce certain kinds of productivity. What's the best way to encourage both more communications and quiet thinking time when it's needed?

If you are interested in seeing lots of case histories on these subjects, you would probably enjoy the parts of The Dance of Change that focus on improving communication, trust, and connection.

After you finish this book, think about where your organization needs more trust, where you need more connections within and without the company, and how you can create a more cohesive creativity on the significant opportunities that face you.

Be open to the positive potential of the new, and help others to see it also!

Common sense, uncommon insight
If I could inflict one book on business executives this year, this would be it. In arguing that social capital within organisations has a value, and that there are ways to encourage it, the authors will not surprise most corporate infantry. But they draw together the human strands of this topic - trust, networking, the office environment, gossip - in an elegant and compelling way, and turn an insightful lens towards everyday facets of employee interaction. While the approach is scholarly, there's enough case study and anecdote to give their case a grounded authenticity. It's extremely well written, and the ideas it brings together beg for enlargement and further research.

Good Company Makes for Good Business
Here's a fascinating read that emphasizes one of the most-often overlooked components of an organization's success: the power of chance or commonplace conversations in stairwells or over a drink after work. The authors' "knowledge management" bias leads them to urge companies to invest in "social capital" by bringing together isoldated groups, encouraging in-person meetings, and giving employees time for casual conversations. Clearly a humanist argument but an important one that's gaining a lot of currency in a number of companies. ... Read more

Book Description

This pioneering work has been now abridged and revised to increase its accessibility and usefulness for today's practicing managers.

It is centered around a simple premise with profound implications: All organization and management theories are based on images, or metaphors, with paradoxical effects - they can create profound insights but also great distortions. With this seminal work, Gareth Morgan shows how managers can broaden and deepen their understanding of organization and organizational problems, and use powerful new metaphors to shape new ways of working.

The first book to offer a concrete method for integrating the strengths and overcoming the weaknesses of competing management perspectives, Images of Organization has established itself as a classic and has influenced management thinking throughout the world. This new Executive Edition retains all the vitality of the original and has been updated to integrate significant research of the last decade. This essential volume provides the kind of organizational "radar" system managers need to negotiate the demands of the 21st century.

"A fine well-thumbed friend returns reborn and refreshed. No one who cares about organizations should miss this living classic"  

--Curt Lindberg, President, VHA of New Jersey

`"We are moving from the world of traditional organizing forms into a new and uncharted world. If I were to choose one guidebook for exploring both worlds, I'd choose Images of Organization. It will help practitioners and leaders multiply their abilities to see, understand and redesign organizations to fit today's extraordinary challenges"  

--Bill Veltrop, Founder, International Center for Organizational Design

"An intellectual tour de force ... a major contribution to the literature"  

-- Journal of Occupational Psychology

 

Reviews (14)

Most valuable read of my MBA
Gareth Morgan's book provides an antidote to the finance, marketing and HR texts that are required reading for an MBA student. The clever use of metaphor allows the reader to absorb the huge anount of information contained within the book (check out the bibliography!) - you don't even realise how much you are learning until you start relating concepts to others around you. My fellow students, colleagues and even my parents had to listen ...

I found it a very easy to read book, if you are willing to put aside your existing ideas (psychic prison) about the way the organisation works(?) If you prefer big words, read Morgan and Burrell's Sociological Paradigms and Organisational Analysis - essential reading, but even more brilliant as a companion to Images.

Learn the stuff you are expected to know from your finance, marketing, statistics, strategy and HR texts, but understand the stuff that will change your world from Images of Organisation.

This book can profoundly change your thinking about orgs
This is not a "three steps to understanding organizations" type book.The people posting negative reviews for this were looking for something simple and digestable - this book is not that.However, if you take the time, you will find it profoundly alters your thinking about understanding organizations.

This book provides solid theoretical models for understanding what is occuring in organizations.I read this book over 10 years ago and STILL find it the second best and most enlightening thing I have ever read on organizations.This has dramatically aided me in being a very successful business consultant.

The foundation of this book is the notion that you cannot understand complex organizations in any meaningful way through a single perspective.People in the organizations operate on many different perspectives.Each view of the world creates its own understanding of the organizational problems, solutions and daily pattern of interaction.This book provides you the tools for understanding organizations through a number of key perspectives or metaphors, and gives you indications on how to perform a multi-perspective systems analysis.

If you spend the time with this book, you will find yourself able to understand your surroundings FAR better than your peers.

Too esoteric...hard to follow.
I am a graduate student in organizational development.Although this book has some good underlying concepts, I found most of the book hard to follow and not very engaging.It was often difficult to see how many of the concepts actually apply to organizations.There may be good ideas, but they often get lost in the rambling chapters.

Terrific Find
I found this book to be insightful and very useful in administrative organization analysis.It was a useful tool in developing a change management program for a public organization.

Head in the Clouds
This is a fantastic book for those people who are slowly losing their grip on reality. While some of the basic underlying concepts are good I don't find myself practically applying the concept of psychic prisons to my organisation, nor do I view my staff as ameobas that make up a large organism. I have to admit though that I know of others who found the paradyme of organisations as instruments of domination highly arousing. ... Read more

Book Description

What is the purpose of social science and management research? Do scholars/researchers have a responsibility to generate insights and knowledge that are of practical (implementable) value and validity? We are told we live in turbulent and changing times, should this not provide an important opportunity for management researchers to provide understanding and guidance? Yet there is widespread concern about the efficacy of much research.These are some of the puzzles/pressing problems that Chris Argyris addresses in this short book. Argyris is one of the best known management scholars in the world- a leading light whose work has consistently addressed fundamental organizational questions and who has provided some of the key concepts and building blocks of our understanding of organizational learning-single and double learning, theory in use, and espounded theory, etc. In this book, he questions many of the assumptions of organizational theory and research, and his investigation is not confined to academic analysis.He also scruntizes that capacity for 'unproductive reasoning' (self-deception and rationalization) that is common amongst managers, consultants and indeed more generally. As well as engaging with the work of leading organizational researchers (Sennett, Gabreil, Burgelman, Czarniawska, Grint, for example) he also ponders the work of the consultants, commentators and accountants who endorsed Enron. Throughout his purpose is to affirm the goal and values of useful knowledge.His style/inquiry is direct but fair, challenging- if at times uncompromising. Drawing on his own wealth of experience of researching and working with organizations, this book will be a reference point for all concerned to develop useful knowledge and confront the defenses and deceptions that are only too commonplace in the business and academic worlds. ... Read more

Book Description

Creativity, new ideas, innovation -- in any age they are keys to success, but in today's whirlwind economy they are essential for survival itself. Yet, as Robert Sutton explains, the standard rules of business behavior and management are precisely the opposite of what it takes to build an innovative company. We are told to hire people who will fit in; to train them extensively; and to work to instill a corporate culture in every employee. In fact, in order to foster creativity, we should hire misfits, goad them to fight, and pay them to defy convention and undermine the prevailing culture. Weird Ideas That Work codifies these and other proven counterintuitive ideas to help you turn your workplace from staid and safe to wild and woolly -- and creative.

Stanford professor Robert Sutton is an authority on innovation and a popular speaker. In Weird Ideas That Work he draws on extensive research in behavioral psychology to explain how innovation can be fostered in hiring, managing, and motivating people; building teams; making decisions; and interacting with outsiders. Business practices like "hire people who make you uncomfortable," "reward success and failure, but punish inaction," and "decide to do something that will probably fail, and then convince yourself and everyone else that success is certain" strike many managers as strange or even downright wrong. Yet Weird Ideas That Work shows how some of the best teams and companies use these and other counterintuitive practices to crank out new ideas, and it demonstrates that every company can reap sales and profits from such creativity.

Weird Ideas That Work is filled with examples of each of Sutton's 11 1/2 practices, drawn from hi- and low-tech industries, manufacturing and services, information and products. More than just a set of bizarre suggestions, it represents a breakthrough in management thinking: Sutton shows that the practices we need to sustain performance are in constant tension with those that foster new ideas. The trick is to choose the right balance between conventional and "weird" -- and now, thanks to Robert Sutton's work, we have the tools we need to do so. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Weird Ideas-- essential for innovating
Weird Ideas That Work is a "must read" for anyone interested in developing creativity and innovation in an organization. Bob Sutton presents several successful techniques for "thinking outside the box" that can be applied everywhere from problem-solving to corporate culture. He shows numerous examples of how and where these ideas have been applied as well as potential pitfalls. While many enlightened managers may already embrace some of these counterintuitive ideas, Prof. Sutton presents a complete philosophy for developing and managing the talents of intelligent people in order to be more effective and, in turn, more successful. This book will help you to examine your management practices, build a dynamic and fun environment, and inspire the maximum innovation from your organization.

Great Stories, Doable Wisdom
But Sutton's approaches to innovation are as wise as they are weird -- and eminently doable. Filled with wonderfully compelling stories in contexts as varied as high tech start-ups to large established companies to rock and roll bands, the book will force any reader who cares about fostering creativity to rethink many of their assumptions about how they manage. But he doesn't stop at good stories. Sutton seamlessly weaves in a wide range of management theories to elaborate his accounts of innovation successes and failures.

This will undoubtedly become a classic among management texts on innovation. But it should also be read by anyone who wants some wonderful ideas for managing and people who simply want a great read!

Very useful - full of a dozen great ideas
Choose your favourite weird (or not so weird) idea. I found about 20 in the end.

My favourites include :
- reward success & failure - punish inaction;
- forget the past, especially your successes;
- encourage people to ignore/defy superiors;
- hire people who are stubborn;
- focus on abandoning failing ideas more quickly, rather than try to reduce the failure rate.

More unorthodox than weird, but vibrant and smart
Even if you've already read Bob Sutton's "The Weird Rules of Creativity" in Harvard Business Review, don't deprive yourself of the pleasure and benefit of reading his book. While you may not find Sutton's ideas especially weird (more like unorthodox and perhaps contentious), when considered together they definitely push the reader to challenge their assumptions about the corporate conditions conducive to creativity and innovation. Filled with gripping stories from far-flung contexts, Sutton conveys his ideas with verve and passion. These are also some of the qualities that support creativity. As Sutton notes, playfulness, curiosity, and zeal are hallmarks of the innovative company culture. Some books are stuffed with stimulating stories but leave the brain empty. Weird Ideas that Work weaves its tales into a rich fabric of ideas. For instance, Sutton makes the vital distinction between routine work and innovative work. Applying the methods of one to the other can only be disastrous. Related to this, Sutton looks at the issue of whether and when to separate innovation efforts from the mainstream organization. He also makes the distinction (which seems to be catching on more widely) between invention and innovation. Whereas invention is rather like science in that it involves creating something truly new, innovation is more like engineering in that it finds new applications for existing inventions. Grab a copy of this book, kick back for a couple of hours, and see if you can come up with another three and a half weird ideas of your own. One of them might just unlock latent value in your company.

Love This Book!!!
This book is just full of great interventions and truths. I have enjoyed trialing the suggestions and altering them to fit my needs, with great outcomes! Now, some of my own weird ideas are even validated! A very useful tool in these fast changing times. ... Read more

Book Description

Being competitive in the 21st century requires an ability to innovate rapidly and cost-effectively. Companies must prove themselves again and again or fade from glory. Without energetic innovation, standard brands grow obsolete, and the technical giants who dominated the market are left behind. Based on the authors' experience helping companies launch over 400 new products and businesses, Intrapreneuring in Action gives managers at all levels examples and instructions on how to identify people within their organizations who behave like entrepreneurs. It shows in detail how to combine coordination, direction, and freedom to create a climate that encourages intrapreneurship and directs that energy toward company goals. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Intrapreneuring - A must in the corporate world!
I first encountered this book while in an "intraprise" training session provided by the author (Gifford Pinchot) and his team of consultants for my corporate business unit.The practice sessions, business plan training, and creativity training was basic but I could tell a lot of our team (of 30 senior managers) had never encountered this type of thinking.That's when it dawned on me - what I've treated as "common sense" really wasn't so common after all.

This book is rather short but it does provide a lot of practical theory on what I believe is a very basic concept - foster and SUPPORT creativity and innovation in the workplace.Let people build the proverbial "better mousetrap," in fact, be their biggest champion.It is only through creative, innovative, RADICAL thinking that we in the corporate world can ever hope to remain competitive.Unfortunately, most managers just don't get "it."It being the concept of investing time and money in people's creative ideas.

The only down side to this book is that it really isn't an action plan.It speaks a lot about creating an environment of creativity and innovation but doesn't spell out the "how."It merely explains the importance and emphasizes the fact that you need to champion said efforts.

If I had merely read the book and not gone through the training, I would have given this book 5 stars, based on the concept alone (which I STRONGLY support and implement).After receiving the training, I wondered how much practical experience the author really had.He appeared to struggle a LOT in the training and his sessions around creating a business plan were EXTREMELY lacking.

Due to the brevity of this work and the fact that it is not common knowledge, I have recommended it to all of my staff as a baseline understanding of a concept to which I am firmly committed.

A Good Read!
Gifford Pinchot and Ron Pellman describe a hands-on plan of action for moving from an idea's creation to its implementation in a company setting. They focus on the support an idea needs from an intrapreneur, who runs with the idea, whether he/she originated it or not. This individual is much like an executive producer who shepherds a film through the stages of development necessary for production. These stages include developing an intrapreneurial team to work on the project and getting sponsors throughout the organization to support it. Organizational leaders should act as "climate makers" to create a climate that supports innovation.

This well-written, well-organized book combines some basic principles about what makes innovation work with examples of companies that have effectively developed new ideas. It provides guidelines for what to do. The basic principles of innovation may sound familiar to anyone already involved in idea creation and development. However, this handbook provides a useful guide or reminder summarizing these basic principles and showing how to put them to work in any organization.

Novelty and Neologism
Anyone who claims innovation is easy is kidding himself.Commanding your employees to "be innovative!" is like shouting, "Quick - don't think about elephants!", and then wondering why their eyes glaze and minds go blank.More importantly, proponents frequently suppose that innovation begins andends with creativity, thereby discounting the vast number of electrifyingideas that die unimplemented.Turning good ideas into corporatebreakthroughs requires people committed to rolling up their sleeves andmaking the ideas work - the people eager to be the internalentrepreneurs.

These "intrapreneurs" are the subject and stars ofIntrapreneuring in Action, the sequel, distillation, and augmentation ofthe classic Intrapreneuring.Recognizing that those who dominate languagedominate thought, Gifford Pinchot and Ron Pellman embrace their neologismwith quiet fervor, offering a sequence of rules, guidelines, examples, andobservations on what it takes for the intrapreneur to clear internalhurdles and "make innovation happen within established organizations". Here the subtitle suits words to action: the volume is a true handbook,linking prescription to prescience when discussing such issues as thecrucial role of sponsors, the design of "intraprise" workshops (aparticularly strong chapter), and the opportunities to develop innovationwithin a structured process.The authors are also remarkably adept atoffhand insights, ranging from "ask for resources before asking for advice"to "lower your status by lowering your height".If you've ever beenintimidated by an overly tall boss who insists on delivering counsel fromhis personal mountaintop, then you'll recognize the truth in Pinchot andPellman's advice.

Complementing this sage wisdom is the book's tone ofcalm conviction, of ardent urging minus artificial urgency.The authorsare to be congratulated for eschewing self-promotion; although theyinevitably cite their own clients and case studies, they barely mentiontheir own involvement.Similarly, in an extended description ofintrapreneuring in the U.S. Forest Service, Pinchot and Pellman listseveral reasons why the Forest Service's enterprise team experimentsucceeded, none of which is "input from inordinately brilliantconsultants".Thus when the authors take particularly provocative stands -the best intrapreneurs "come to work each day willing to be fired" - thereader is far more likely to interpret them as wise counsel and give themthe credit they're due.

Intrapreneuring in Action cannot be all things toall people.Although the authors believe their principles apply as readilyto internal system improvements as to new products, they unconsciouslyoveremphasize the latter in their notions of market research, financialplanning, product launch, and the like.The handbook style can verge onthe choppy and disconnected, so many readers - as the authors themselvesacknowledge - may prefer to skip around and pluck out sections as needed. Nonetheless, Intrapreneuring in Action remains one of the most accessibleand invigorating of the innovation books currently fighting for space onAmazon.com's virtual shelves.Aspiring intrapreneurs, not to mention pastproprietors of neighborhood lemonade stands, will have plenty of reason toread this book through.Twice. ... Read more

Book Description

More than two millennia ago the famous Chinese general Sun Tzu wrote the classic work on military strategy, The Art of War. Now, in Sun Tzu and the Art of Business, Mark R. McNeilly shows how Sun Tzu's strategic principles can be successfully applied to modern business situations. Here are really two books in one: McNeilly's synthesis of Sun Tzu's ideas into six strategic principles for the business executive, plus the entire text of Samuel B. Griffith's popular translation of The Art of War. Within, McNeilly explains how to gain market share without inciting competitive retaliation, how to attack a competitor's weak points, and how to maximize the power of market information for competitive advantage. He also demonstrates the value of speed, preparation, and secrecy in throwing the competition off-balance, employing strategy to beat the competition, and the need for character in successful leaders. In his final chapter, McNeilly presents a practical method to put Sun Tzu and The Art of Business into practice. By using modern examples throughout the book from GE, Microsoft, AT&T, BMW, Southwest Airlines, FedEx, and many others, he illustrates how, by following the wisdom of history's most respected strategist, executives can avoid the pitfalls of management fads and achieve lasting competitive advantage. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A must read for today's business warrior.
I read Sun Tzu twice a year at least to remind myself of the principles found in this ancient work. This book contains a very good translation of the original book as an addendum. The six principles and true-life business stories allow the reader to more clearly see the business application of Sun Tzu. The author has done a great service to the business world. I recommend it to my associates and never mention to my competitiors.

Wisdom from the First Management Consultant
In recent years, a great deal of nonsense has been published concerning similarities between the military battlefield and the business world. Authors frequently invoke military terms such as "attack", "ambush", "pre-emptive strike", "blitzkrieg" (or "blitz"), "no man's land", "chain of command", "firepower", "guerrilla", "kamikazi", "overkill", and "scorched-earth policy." Amidst all the other books in which forced comparisons are made, Mark McNeilly has written Sun Tzu and the Art of Business. He includes in his book the original (and superb) translation of The Art of War by Samuel B. Griffith.

Time and again, McNeilly stresses (as does Sun Tzu) the absolute importance of personal character. Respect and trust are earned, not conferred by title or decree. It remains for leaders to formulate the correct strategies as well as those tactics needed to implement them. It remains for leaders to allocate resources only where they will achieve the greatest possible success at the lowest acceptable cost. Whether the competition is on a battlefield or in a marketplace, the six principles discussed by McNeilly are appropriate to whatever strategy or strategies may be needed. Historically, the most successful armies and the most successful companies have shared much in common: meticulous preparation, superb timing, speed, maximum use of resources where they will have the greatest impact, sufficient intelligence on opponents, mobility, flexibility, and (above all) resolve.

In Sun Tzu and the Art of Business , McNeilly provides a brilliant analysis of six specific principles (first set to writing almost 2,500 years ago) which, he correctly suggests, will enable all manner of organizations to formulate appropriate strategies for the New Millennium. This is a solid, eloquent, sharply-focused book. Unlike so many other authors who force analogies between war and business, McNeilly respects the basic (indeed obvious) differences between them while explaining how certain principles are relevant to both.

Not bad, a bit unsatisfying
I must agree that some of the art of war principles may seem obvious today, but many are overlooked or misinterpreted. I believe the principles are really useful, and do in fact have a lot to help you with in business. I think, however, the problem would be you imagining yourself as some great wise general leading your "forces" against your enemey. If you jump to become too overzealous of a war fan than your nothing but an amateur. In some ways I think there would be some great comparison between chess and business, but I am not an chess expert yet and can't make those judgements for sure.

However this author does seem to inform you with some information it doesn't seem to give you as much as you may hope for. At the time that I read this book it was the first on the subject of Sun Tzu's book "The Art of War" or any business book for that matter. So if you in fact know nothing then you will learn something from this book. I felt frustrated throughout the book when he would continually make references to "a well known company." McNeilly would pick out events of war to support his ideas; however, the way he would pick small examples with such little detail he would lead to you believe that these strategies being successful in war are isolated events. If I was a war historian maybe I would be able to dig through my knowledge of events to see if they were in fact successful throughout history or not.

On another note about the "well known companies," he would use these as support for his arguments/theories on how to apply them in business. He would say how the companies did this and that, and brought about certain results. I was left so frustrated because I wanted DETAILS! I wanted to know who these companies were and see for myself what happened and what significance it had to the company.

In the end he left me with a feeling that he was just excited to yell out the word war with business. Like I said, its not bad if you know nothing. You should read more after this, that is if you can handle dry reading. This books' greatest angle would be that it wasn't boring for me at all.

Great book for people w/o a business sense!
Ignore the first review of this book - it seems to be by a person who's not read it, but feels that they know what it's about.

I'm finding this book an ESPECIALLY great read, coming from a non-business point of view.

If anything, I'm an engineer, and this book clearly lays out things that make you think "hmm, that's plainly clear, but I would have never realized it".

It doesn't give you answers on how to run your own business, but it gives you the methods for finding them.

highly recommented

You must read it!
The Art of War (the traduction is included in the book) in itself is very interesting. Even if it was written more than 2000 years ago, you can still learn from those principles.

The work made by Mark K McNeilly helps the reader to apply the greats principles ot Sun Tzu works in modern business life. The six principles are related to strategic management and really make sense.

It's clear and interesting. You must read it! ... Read more

Book Description

This book makes an important contribution to current debates both in business strategy and supply management. It explains why an understanding of the concept of power is critical to the appropriate management of relationships between buyers and suppliers in extended supply chain networks and indicates how power can be used to explain the unique patterns of profitability in different networks. ... Read more

Book Description

An enormous consulting industry has sprung up promising to help organizations overhaul themselves to meet today's competitive pressures. Yet far too often, such change efforts fail. The solution, according to best-selling management author William Bridges, lies in identifying, understanding, and working with what he calls organizational character.

Just as people have personalities, Bridges explains, organizations--as well as their component departments, teams, and other work groups--have characters. An organization's character shapes how decisions get made and new ideas are received, how employees are treated and change is accepted or rejected--all factors that affect company performance. Using examples from McDonald's, Hewlett-Packard, GE, and others, Bridges identifies sixteen organizational character types using the framework of MBTI personality types and shows how these influence an organization's growth and development, and ultimately its success or failure in the marketplace. With a foreword by Sandra Krebs Hirsh and a new preface by the author, this updated edition of the time-tested classic includes the Organizational Character Index, Bridges's popular tool for assessing the character of your own organization or team. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Myers-Briggs for companies - surprisingly effective.
Criticisms that this book merely recycles standard Myers-Briggs ideas are misplaced. Most people familiar with ideas of psychological type might agree there was *some* case for an analogous approach to organisational character, perhaps at the level of the four categories of temperament. However, William Bridges succeeds in showing how applying the sixteen types of Myers-Briggs type theory can highlight essential and distinctive organisational characteristics. Most of his examples, although dated, seem compelling. There are a few issues: I suspect that most people would consider Hewlett-Packard to be SF, rather than ST, as Dr. Bridges has it (p. 25). And even for a book first published in 1990, the omission of Microsoft is a little surprising (INTJ?).

The other dimension of organisational analysis covered in this book is that of organisational development and lifecycle. Again, Dr. Bridges leverages type theory to develop some interesting ideas as to the different type-characteristics exhibited from organisation conception ("the Dream"), through maturity ("Becoming an Institution"), to organisational death. Given the extent of merger and acquisition activity in recent years, I was surprised to see how little attention Dr. Bridges gave to managing the cultural and developmental issues which surface when different company characteristics collide in M&A, (about half a page).

Finally, there is a deeper theoretical issue as to why Jungian/Myers-Briggs type theory - developed from Jung's theories of the human psyche, should be expected to apply to organisations at all. Do organisations assemble themselves around the type of their founders, does the type emerge as a side-effect of the types of employees who are best at tackling the company's problems, or is there a supra-human theory of "organisational psychology" trying to get out here? The book alludes to the existence of these kinds of problems, but does not really add much to our understanding.

All in all, this book will add value to anyone who already has a feel for the Myers-Briggs approach to personality types, and who is interested in effectively dealing with organisations.

a little hokie
I sent this book back - Its basically the myers-briggs at the organization level. It goes through characteristics of the ENTJ organization for example. My problem with it was that the people make the organization and the culture and unless all the same types of people are being hired or cloned and all the people in the org are primarily the particular type then the concepts fall apart. The other thing that bugged me was that the leadership generally sets the tone for the organization so if the leader is a certain personality type then that will probably prevade the organization so there's no need to look at the organization's type but instead to look at leadership and see what type of culture/values they portend andthen work at that level to make change. Anyway, I didn't find this book useful at all - just another spin on myers briggs

Insightful!
Organizations have their own personalities, as William Bridges demonstrates by applying the most popular personality test ever devised for humans to groups of people working together. Bridges developed the “Organizational Character Index” (OCI) from the ubiquitous Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. While OCI thus far lacks the rigorous testing of hundreds of certified Myers-Briggs trainers, intuitively the model makes sense. Bridges provides a useful way of thinking about organizational styles and tries to understand the nature of departments within organizations. Abundant examples, lists and charts help illustrate the principles. We...recommend this book to managers and human resource professionals seeking insight into the nuances of organizational development, provided that they are willing to spoon through a certain amount of alphabet soup. (Note: Though this book has a 2000 copyright date, with the exception of a new forward by Sandra Krebs Hirsh, it is a republication of a work written in about 1990.)

For anyone seeking to transform their own business
The Character Of Organizations identifies sixteen types of organizational character using the framework of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator instrument and clarifies what people actually experience on the job. Utilizing "real world" corporate examples, William Bridges shows that an organization's character shapes how decisions are made and new ideas are received, how employees are treated and how change is accepted or rejected, and how such things affect company performance. Written in a lively, contemporary, and completely accessible style, and in a new edition enhanced with a foreword by Sandra Krebs Hirsh and a new preface by the author, The Character Of Organizations is highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to transform their own business to take advantage of their strengths and become aware of their weaknesses with which ever corporate character style they are employing.

An "Inside-Out" understanding of organizations
William Bridges' "Character of Organizations" provides a valuable understanding of the journey of an organization through its' "life cycles" as well as how to understand some of the confusing and counter productive actions of its' members as it progresses on that journey. Dr. Bridges has skillfully utilized the richness of Type, combined with his own knowledge and experience working with organizations, to develop a framework for understanding their strengths and limitations. His work then demonstrates for the reader how to build on this framework to help the organization improve critical aspects of its' operations such as strategic planning, problem-solving processes, communication systems and decision-making approaches, "The Character of Organizations" is a must for organizational leaders at every level. ... Read more

Book Description

In addition to facilitating active learning, Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills & Best Practices, by Kinicki and Kreitner, meets the needs of those instructors looking for a brief, paperback text for their OB course, who do not want to sacrifice content or pedagogy.This book provides lean and efficient coverage of topics such as diversity in organizations, ethics, and globalization, which are recommended by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Timely chapter- opening cases, interactive exercises integrated into each chapter, four-color presentation, lively writing style, and real-world in-text examples make Organizational Behavior: Key Concepts, Skills & Best Practices the right choice for today's business student. The topical flow of this 16-chapter text goes from micro (individuals) to macro (groups, teams, and organizations).Mixing and matching chapters and topics within chapters in various combinations is possible and encouraged to create optimum teaching/learning experiences. ... Read more

Book Description

"I'm delighted to see the updated version of Women and Men in Management. This comprehensive volume is an outstanding resource for students, scholars, and professionals. Powell and Graves have done a great job updating the research literature and making it relevant with contemporary stories and examples. I particularly value the fact that the arguments are grounded in rigorous empirical research, while at the same time the writing is accessible to a wide audience. What a difference from the many sensation-seekers who inflame issues or exaggerate the differences between women and men in their quests for fame!"
--Alison M. Konrad, Fox School of Business and Management, Temple University

Around the world, women comprise a greater proportion of both workers and managers than ever before. However, women continue to be excluded from top management positions, segregated into low-paying occupations, and paid less for the same work as men.

Why does biological sex continue to have such a powerful effect in the workplace? Is it only a matter of time before individuals' work experiences are unaffected by their sex? Women & Men in Management, Third Edition answers these questions and more. It provides a comprehensive review of the literature on gender and organizations. To reflect the explosion of research during the 10 years since the second edition, the book includes references to over 900 sources, of which over 80% are new to this edition. The book covers a unique and wide range of topics, including employment decisions, work teams, leadership, sexual harassment, workplace romance, career development, the glass ceiling, work and family, and strategies for promoting an organizational culture of nondiscrimination, diversity, and inclusion. It offers concrete recommendations that individuals and organizations may implement to ensure that all people have fulfilling and productive careers, regardless of their biological sex.

New to This Edition:

* Focus on "where we are now"

* Expanded coverage of topics that have received increased attention in recent years, including entrepreneurship, the glass ceiling, work and family, work teams, global leaders, career development, and employment decisions

* Strategies for promoting a culture of nondiscrimination, diversity, and inclusion

* An analysis of gender incorporates theories and research on the intersection of gender and other identities (race, ethnicity, age, nationality, and sexual orientation)

* An international focus through references to research studies and statistics from around the world

* Changes in the writing style and greater use of corporate examples have made this edition more accessible to a wider audience

Book Description

Hardbound. The last two decades have seen exceptionally fast rates of change in every aspect of the telecommunications industry. These include major technology changes and the convergence of the broadcasting, information technology and telecommunications industries. The earlier view of telecommunications as a natural monopoly has now given way to one in which almost all parts are susceptible to some form of competition. Simultaneously, market structure has changed through the replacement of the former monopolistic, vertically integrated telephone companies by a variety of competing firms. These developments have been accompanied by major legislative and regulatory developments, including the passing in the United States of the 1996 Telecommunications Act and the introduction of a large number of new laws and regulations in Europe and elsewhere. The same changes have seen a massive expansion of independent regulatory agencies. This volume provides det ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good useful volume
As a user of this handbook for my research I have found it to be an extremely useful tool to learn about the various aspects of this field which has more or less been defined by this volume.

A real handbook
This is a real handbook. It covers the complete field of telecommunications: theories, technologies and pratice.

A MUST for everyone interested in telecommunications. ... Read more

Book Description

Recent corporate scandals have brought attention to business ethics, yet there are few books available that cover an important aspect of this topic. In this timely study of organizational ethics and stakeholder theory — which holds that business is beholden not only to shareholders but also to customers, employees, suppliers, management, and the community — Robert Phillips challenges the idea that the theory has no "moral underpinnings" and suggests useful ways to define which groups are or are not legitimate stakeholders. This study is based on the work of John Rawls, the most widely cited moral and political philosopher of the 20th century. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by one of the leading scholars in the field of decision-making research, The Psychology of Decision Making provides an overview of decision making as it relates to management, organizational behavior issues, and research. This engaging book examines the way individuals make decisionsùhow they form judgments privately and in the context of the organization. It also discusses the interplay of group and institutional dynamics and their effects upon the decisions made within and on the behalf of organizations. Researchers and advanced students in the field of organization science, social, and industrial psychology who want a better understanding of how the field has developed as a scholarly discipline and of the processes involved in decision making will find this an excellent resource. ... Read more

Book Description

Managing Innovation provides readers with the knowledge to understand, and the skills to manage, innovation at the operational and strategic levels.  Specifically, it integrates the management of market, organizational and technological change to improve the competitiveness of firms and effectiveness of other organizations.  The management of innovation is inherently interdisciplinary and multifunctional and Tidd, Bessant & Pavitt provide an integrative approach to the subject.

• Two new perspectives are introduced through which to re-examine material presented in each chapter: sustaining versus disruptive innovation (a greater emphasis will be placed on disruptive innovation) and organizations versus networks (greater discussion of the network issues raised in each chapter).
• Provides more treatment of innovation in services.
• Greater internationalization of case examples will be provided e.g. more examples will be included from Asia and Latin America.
• Introduces discussion of the relationship between innovation and the environment.

Reviews (2)

Brilliant read!!
Used this book for the 'Managing Processes and Products' course on my MBA. Found it quite interesting and illuminating with plenty of examples to bring the subject to life. Would definitely recommend it.

Not for the faint hearted.
This book is very difficult to read. The sentences are so long that you will struggle to make sense of them. The author goes out of his way to use long complicated words. This is not a good book to read to introduce yourself to the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

During the past decade, leaders have increasingly relied on self-managing work groups, multifunctional teams, and cross-national executive groups to create the organization of the future. Yet groups are not a panacea for organizational problems; conflicts between individuals or factions within a group often create seemingly contradictory situations?paradoxes?that can prevent the group from reaching its goals.

In this groundbreaking classic, Kenwyn Smith and David Berg offer a revolutionary approach to understanding groups and overcoming the problems that often paralyze group members, the group as a whole, and relations among groups. They explore the hidden dynamics that can prevent a group from functioning effectively. And they show how an apparently paradoxical suggestion?for example, inviting a success oriented group to risk failure, or affirming the benefits of going nowhere to a group focused on moving ahead?can break action barriers, overcome conflicts, and improve group performance.

Smith and Berg offer a different way of thinking about groups that will open new avenues of inquiry for professors and students of group behavior, and they propose many innovative ideas that will prove valuable to consultants, trainers, therapists, and others who work with groups on a regular basis.

... Read more

Reviews (2)

Constant Companion for Group Work
This insightful book has accompanied me through grad school, two corporate reorganizations and numerous consulting projects. The authors have written an excellent text on the contradictory forces/movements endemic to group life. Their use of paradoxical thought as a lens for thinking about and successfully navigating the territory of group life is both practical and innovative. If you're looking for the usual book about conflict resolution, please look elsewhere. Smith and Berg advocate reclaiming rather than repressing or eliminating the fears and anxieties that define many aspects of group life. Their explanation of concepts such as group paralysis, oscillation, group-as-whole, splitting and individual ambivalence are clear and highly cogent when integrated into a paradoxical framework.

Aptly titled: This analysis is rife w/ incisive insights.
Paradoxes of Group Life is a masterful explication of the concepts its title announces. This readable volume will serve the newcomer to Group Dynamics as well as the more experienced cognoscenti. People are often fundamentally ambivalent about ourselves and our participation in groups. Smith & Berg explain these (often unconscious) dynamics with great clarity and force. Treat yourself to this compelling analysis. I highly recommend their important work! ... Read more

Book Description

Those who succeed in business do so by knowing how to adapt and change along with the changing landscape of corporate life.

As you probably already know, business has evolved past the cutthroat tactics that once ruled the day.The kinder and gentler business world of today brings manners, ethics, and corporate responsibility into the workplace.The current problem is knowing how to survive and thrive in this new climate.

This book goes where no book has gone before—it links business success directly to good manners.Mary Mitchell knows and shows that what is best for any business situation is that all parties are treated with respect.This isn’t as easy to pull off as it sounds since we are all connected 24/7.It’s hard to know where the business day ends (or if it even does).Likewise business gatherings have moved from formal dining to all types of social situations from buffets to lunch at the gym after a game of handball.This means that we must be on our best behavior for every type of business situation (in and out of the office) while maintaining a professional sensibility.

With a copy of Class Acts as your guide, you will develop the mindset for civility in the workplace along with the mechanics to carry it through by learning:

· Personal accountability
· The value of forgiving, apologizing, and telling the truth
· Meeting conduct (both as an attendee and the leader)
· How to celebrate special occasions in a multicultural workplace
· Maintaining humanity in cyberspace
· That visualization and meditation enhance focus and civility
· Ways of disagreeing without being disagreeable
· That good relationships lead to good business which leads to success

Mary Mitchell is president of The Mitchell Organization, a Philadelphia-based training and consulting firm.Client service, business and personal etiquette, presentation and negotiation skills programs are custom designed and provided for top national and international corporations and professional organizations. Ms. Mitchell is the author of five previous books, including THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO BUSINESS ETIQUETTE. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Not only for Businessmen
Mary Mitchell has written a stunningly clear, well thought-out, and concise book. Her background in etiquette, coupled with years of work in the field of corporate governance place her in the unique position of being able to match business accountability with manners at a time when both assets are sadly on the decline. Not only are her points well taken, but the book is well-written and entertaining. The suggestions and advice contained in this book are indispensable for just