Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
The 5th edition contains updated service utilization and financial information as well as updated health care industry trends with the latest developments. All existing tables and charts have been updated and new tables and charts have been added to highlight trends and illustrate major points of the narrative.
The first page of each description includes information on understanding the specific personality type to help you shift perspectives to improve your relationships with others. The second page includes information on being that personality type to help you further your understanding of yourself. This format makes this booklet essential for employees in any organization who want to understand themselves better and work with others more effectively.
"This book is the best I've ever read detailing a practical theory of evaluation. It is comprehensive, beautifully written, and makes sense of the evaluation enterprise. It does so by emphasizing the major function of evaluation as sense-making about policies and programs."
--Thomas D. Cook, professor, sociology, psychology, education, and public policy, Northwestern University
Programs that serve the needs of the public continually face changes brought by social, political, and economic forces. To survive these changes, organizations must evaluate their programs wisely and realistically. This book offers a new approach to evaluation, one that will encourage all kinds of organizations and agencies to improve their contributions to social betterment. The authors draw from three decades of evaluation practice and theory to present their own framework for conceptualizing evaluation and for pragmatically assessing social policies and programs.
To build knowledge and expertise for future programs
For the practitioner, these purposes help define the approach and methods for an evaluation. The authors also enrich their discussion with four possible modes of inquiry: description, classification, causal analysis, and values inquiry. Filled with tables, charts, and figures, this resource invites organizations to make the most appropriate programming decisions based on thoughtful and systematic methods. Evaluation: An Integrated Framework for Understanding, Guiding, and Improving Policies and Programs is a tool that scholars can use to rejuvenate their view of evaluation and that practitioners can use to integrate the best techniques with a contemporary understanding of social policy and change.
Customer Reviews:
A Primer for sorting out conceptual muddles in the field.......2004-01-22
Amidst a burgeoning growth industry in policy evaluation, characterized by a plethora of approaches and non-standard language usage, editors of two prominent evaluation journals join forces with a third colleague to provide an overview and an inclusive framework that differentiates in simple language, major approaches taken to policy and program evaluation to date.
Beginning with a core definition of evaluation as assisted sense-making whose ultimate objective is social betterment, the authors distinguish four purposes of evaluation: (1) assessment of merit and worth (2) program and organizational improvement, (3) oversight and compliance, and (4) knowledge development. Conceptual clarity over purpose(s) helps avoid muddles encountered in everyday arenas of evaluation and is directly pertinent to modes of inquiry appropriate to those purposes. In the second section of the book the authors distinguish four types of evaluative inquiry and discuss how to plan corresponding evaluative methods appropriate to the purpose(s) at hand. With a view toward conceptual coherence, they spend a chapter grounding their conception of evaluation as assisted sense-making in a philosophy of common sense realism. The third and final section of the book then considers closely, uses and challenges for each of these four modes of evaluative inquiry and devotes one chapter to each: (1) "Description," (2) "Classification," (3) "Causal Analysis," and (4) "Values Inquiry." In so doing, the authors contribute toward enhanced clarity in the "evaluation jungle" at significant levels of analysis and deliver what they promise in simple common sense language: an integrated framework for understanding, guiding, and improving public and nonprofit policies and programs.
My only reservation is related to what in content is also a strength. Rich in academic references, with an adaptation in format, these references could have better been placed in endnotes rather than parentheses. This would have facilitated reading flow. The decision to keep a format that is probably more useful in journals than books accounts for a one star deduction and four star rating.
A solid well-grounded theoretical analysis that will help those engaged in policy/program evaluation sort out a lot of muddles ahead of time rather than unnecessarily being caught in the mire. Another indication that, while good theory will never get as far as accounting for all the exigencies in a complex world, good theory is helpful in avoiding unnecessary confusions and many commonplace and wholly predictable errors in advance. Highly recommended.
Aimed at both practitioners and academics.......2003-08-23
This book serves two purposes. It is a comprehensive text on evaluation aimed at both practitioners and academics, but most importantly, it is a treatise aimed at introducing a new evaluation framework. It is a textbook with a point of view. The authors begin with the premise that the fundamental purpose of evaluation is social betterment, which is "...the reduction or prevention of social problems, the improvement of social conditions, and the alleviation of human suffering." From these roots, they build a new `realistic' evaluation framework. Although aimed primarily at public and non-profit organizations, many of the lessons can be applied in the private sector as well.
Part one examines why one would want to do an evaluation in the first place. The authors purport that evaluation is a fundamental part of the democratic process because it is crucial in informing policy and decision makers about the effectiveness of public policy and programs. The book reviews the four purposes of evaluation (assessment of merit and worth, program and organizational improvement, oversight and compliance, and knowledge development) and introduces the four inquiry modes (description, classification, causal analysis and values inquiry). The authors provide extensive coverage and a critique of the academic debates concerning purposes, modes and methodology. This leads to the proposal of a realistic philosophy, which aims to move beyond traditional paradigm silos. The authors argue that by focusing on the ultimate goal of social betterment and by seeking to surface underlying values, it is possible to follow a path that tailors methodology to intended purpose.
Part two covers evaluation planning and begins the practical application part of the book. Different evaluation purposes become paramount and are more aptly suited, depending on the environment (stable, competitive, shifts in funding or new policy/program). Choosing appropriate methodology and evaluation extensiveness (i.e. quality) is aided by an understanding of primary and secondary evaluation purposes; the book provides decision-making matrices as well as many examples and references. The authors expand on their notion of a `common-sense realistic' philosophy and provide an extensive overview of the supporting principles. It is a philosophy underlined by the notion of evaluation as `assisted sensemaking' that aims to build upon and extend natural human perceptual processes. In practice, it is flexible, antiformalist and rejects the fact-value and qualitative-quantitative dichotomies. In short, it aims to do what works in a given situation and contributes the most to social betterment.
Part three provides extensive detail on the four inquiry modes (description, classification, causal analysis and values inquiry). Each chapter provides a complete overview: detailed arguments about how the selected mode can be used to support the four evaluation purposes, examples of specific evaluation methodology, interactions, notable caveats and pitfalls and an overview of critical opinion. The sections on classification and causal analysis are especially extensive, full of detailed methodology and references to external sources. The authors expand on the notion of how values inquiry can be critical in a complementary role with other modes.
The authors conclude with a statement that the field of evaluation is "...moving towards yet another rite of passage." They argue that evaluators need "...to take their proper place in the policy community" and they must become "...shameless in broadly spreading their findings...." They make a final argument in support of their realistic philosophy.
The book is often dense with citations, making for difficult reading at times. In places, especially in part one, the level of detail is far beyond that needed by the average practitioner. However, this would seem to suit the academic audience, who would find the sections devoted to methodology (aimed at practitioners) unnecessary. It seems a happy compromise. Name and subject indexes facilitate use of the book as a reference text. A thorough bibliography points the reader to external sources. It is a text thoroughly worth the attention of anyone interested in the field of evaluation.
Aimed at both practitioners and academics.......2003-08-23
This book serves two purposes. It is a comprehensive text on evaluation aimed at both practitioners and academics, but most importantly, it is a treatise aimed at introducing a new evaluation framework. It is a textbook with a point of view. The authors begin with the premise that the fundamental purpose of evaluation is social betterment, which is "...the reduction or prevention of social problems, the improvement of social conditions, and the alleviation of human suffering." From these roots, they build a new `realistic' evaluation framework. Although aimed primarily at public and non-profit organizations, many of the lessons can be applied in the private sector as well.
Part one examines why one would want to do an evaluation in the first place. The authors purport that evaluation is a fundamental part of the democratic process because it is crucial in informing policy and decision makers about the effectiveness of public policy and programs. The book reviews the four purposes of evaluation (assessment of merit and worth, program and organizational improvement, oversight and compliance, and knowledge development) and introduces the four inquiry modes (description, classification, causal analysis and values inquiry). The authors provide extensive coverage and a critique of the academic debates concerning purposes, modes and methodology. This leads to the proposal of a realistic philosophy, which aims to move beyond traditional paradigm silos. The authors argue that by focusing on the ultimate goal of social betterment and by seeking to surface underlying values, it is possible to follow a path that tailors methodology to intended purpose.
Part two covers evaluation planning and begins the practical application part of the book. Different evaluation purposes become paramount and are more aptly suited, depending on the environment (stable, competitive, shifts in funding or new policy/program). Choosing appropriate methodology and evaluation extensiveness (i.e. quality) is aided by an understanding of primary and secondary evaluation purposes; the book provides decision-making matrices as well as many examples and references. The authors expand on their notion of a `common-sense realistic' philosophy and provide an extensive overview of the supporting principles. It is a philosophy underlined by the notion of evaluation as `assisted sensemaking' that aims to build upon and extend natural human perceptual processes. In practice, it is flexible, antiformalist and rejects the fact-value and qualitative-quantitative dichotomies. In short, it aims to do what works in a given situation and contributes the most to social betterment.
Part three provides extensive detail on the four inquiry modes (description, classification, causal analysis and values inquiry). Each chapter provides a complete overview: detailed arguments about how the selected mode can be used to support the four evaluation purposes, examples of specific evaluation methodology, interactions, notable caveats and pitfalls and an overview of critical opinion. The sections on classification and causal analysis are especially extensive, full of detailed methodology and references to external sources. The authors expand on the notion of how values inquiry can be critical in a complementary role with other modes.
The authors conclude with a statement that the field of evaluation is "...moving towards yet another rite of passage." They argue that evaluators need "...to take their proper place in the policy community" and they must become "...shameless in broadly spreading their findings...." They make a final argument in support of their realistic philosophy.
The book is often dense with citations, making for difficult reading at times. In places, especially in part one, the level of detail is far beyond that needed by the average practitioner. However, this would seem to suit the academic audience, who would find the sections devoted to methodology (aimed at practitioners) unnecessary. It seems a happy compromise. Name and subject indexes facilitate use of the book as a reference text. A thorough bibliography points the reader to external sources. It is a text thoroughly worth the attention of anyone interested in the field of evaluation.
Book Description
Identifying and Leveraging the Hidden Social Networks That Drive Corporate Performance
In today's flatter organizations, collaboration in employee networks has become critical to innovation and to both individual and companywide performance. Executives spend millions on new organizational designs, cultural initiatives, and technologies to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise across functional, hierarchical, and divisional lines. Yet these efforts have achieved disappointing results.
Rob Cross and Andrew Parker argue that's because most managers have little understanding of how their employees actually interact to get work done. In fact, formal "org charts" fail to reveal the often hidden social networks that truly drive--or hinder--an organization's performance. In this eye-opening book, Cross and Parker show managers how to find, assess, and support the networks most crucial to competitive success.
Based on their in-depth study of more than sixty informal networks within organizations around the world, Cross and Parker show how managers can implement a wide range of specific and inexpensive actions-from bridging strategically important disconnects in a network to eliminating information "bottlenecks" to recognizing key connectors-that will enhance the powerful impact networks can have on performance and innovation.
Customer Reviews:
Social network theory gains real traction in this how-to guide........2007-02-16
In 1935 social network theory was created when an Italian born sociologist began drawing the now familiar network diagrams - laboriously constructed by hand but showing how employees related to each other within organizations. Today, softwares such as Ucinet are readily available and as a result social network analysis has moved onto the desktop and is available to all those who see its potential. here, Cross and Parker have wasted no time in stamping some ownership on the field by showing how and why social network studies within organizations should be conducted - and then how the results, those complex network diagrams can be diagnosed. They achieve a high standard here though they shy away from some of mathematical thinking that explains how the diagrams are derived: with only scant reference to terms like Betweenness, Centrality and Group Density which have become of the social network lexicon and, one would ahve thought, a useful toolset for the analysis of results. For this I mark them down one point - but overall the volume is rich in insight, clear in writing, and action-oriented: as much as anything it is a how-to guide, and HR professionals and market researchers would do well do reflect that the real dynamics within an organization do not follow the official organization chart but, rather, reflect the informal networks based on trust, knowledge and wisdom and developed by individuals as they navigate around what is usually a politically charged environment. Good insightful reading! I recommend this for researchers, HR professionals and managers.
On a broader front - here are two other books on social networks that are worth reading. Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age (Open Market Edition) Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Theory of Networks
Not bad.......2007-01-03
The book is written in an acamdemic style, you know the type of books you read in college. They are not mush fun to read, are a bit "woolly" and lack any personality.
But its an ok book. If you are interested in social networks and other networks I would recommend Mark Buchanen and books "Nexus", "Why catastrophes happen", and "Linked".
Very insightful book!.......2005-09-16
This book has been very interesting and helpful for me. It helped analyze and systemize my social networks. I recommend it to the people who want to organize their networks.
Understanding How Work Really Gets Done is Organizations.......2005-07-24
Well written book with helpful insights that one can apply to the work world. By becoming conscious of the power that these networks yield we can better harness their potential energy and creativity force.
Things that may hinder or break social networks.
1) Reward Systems
2) Splintering work groups
3) Poor job design
4) Watch for creating bottlenecks reliant upon specific people in the organization.
5) Redundacy, having involve everyone in the decision
Common Social Network Applications
1)helping in the collaborations of partnerships and alliances
2) improved strategic decision making
3) streamling core processes
4) promoting innovation
5) developing communities of practice
6) introducing change
7) spread learning and communication
Some attributes of that can affect social networking
1) Tenure in the organization
2) Encourage of mentoring
3) Ability to get new folks intergrated quickly
4) Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Education
5) Organizational Culture -> view of external contractors
6) Opportunities for projects to allow cross fertilization
7) Employee status
8) Task Interdependence
9) Physical Distances
10) Hierarchical levels
11) Organizational silos
VIVIDLY REVEALS A KEY DIMENSION OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS!.......2005-04-23
This book is about how employees actually interact through networks to get work done, how such social networks function, how to analyze these networks, and ways to build and strengthen them. The major focus is on information flow and collaboration. The authors have found that a highly effective and pragmatic approach to analyzing and developing networks need not be highly complex. Their focus is on improving organizational performance by both understanding and promoting vibrant networks. The book concentrates on the factors that make a network effective and how, in practice, managers can foster the potential of a social network within and between units of organization. The discussion of factors that infuse energy into a network is excellent. So too are sections on the elements used to promote network connectivity and the six steps for conducting a social network analysis, including example questions. Based on considerable research and real-world experiences in private and public sector entities, the book is outstanding in revealing a key dimension of organizational success. It is well written, makes main points clearly, and delves into the substance of its subject. For anyone with an interest in, or engaged in, organization analysis, design, development or leadership, this book is must-reading!
Product Description
Based upon 17 years of ongoing research involving more than 40,000 people from over 25 cultures, extensively field-tested, and adopted internationally by Fortune 500 companies, Human Dynamics? is a developmental system that demystifies the complexities of how people function and interact with one another. Human Dynamics presents a powerful framework for understanding the distinct ways in which we process information, learn, communicate, relate with one another, manifest stress, maintain well-being, and develop as human beings. At the heart of Human Dynamics are the three universal principles we all share in different capacities--mental, emotional, and physical--fundamental threads that cross culture, age, race, and gender to unify us all. As we learn to appreciate our commonalities and differences, we can use our unique gifts and apply new understanding to enrich our relationships, heighten "collective intelligence", communicate more effectively, work together more productively, enhance creativity, optimize team learning, and strengthen organizational performance. Actual accounts from major companies including Intel Corporation, Intermountain Healthcare System, and London Life Insurance Company document how Human Dynamics can optimize business relationships, organizational learning, teamwork, and communication.
Customer Reviews:
A Proper Examination and Explanation of Human Action.......2001-01-24
If you have found most personality tests insignificant, unhelpful, or unrevealing, then perhaps this book is for you. Human Dynamics goes into much more depth and provides a greater understanding of human communication and actions than any simple personality test. While people can be placed into certain "dynamics," these dynamics are not nearly as restraining or stereotypical as personality tests tend to be. Rather than explaining one's personality, dynamics explain how groups of people tend to process information, not necessarily how aggressive, passive, or "likeable" they are. This book helped me in terms of personal discovery, and has also helped me understand why it always seemed that so many people "just never seemed to think like me."
Great book.......2000-07-09
Models to describe human personality are presented. Each model has it unique characteristics, its strengths and weaknesses. Each model will respond most effectively to certain modes of communications. This understanding of the different models presented will help a manager, a teacher, a student or just about anybody to understand themselves and people around them better. This will enable better communication of ideas and thoughts. Students will learn better and managers will be able to communicate more effectively with individuals. The models can be taken up to an organizational level. The applications of this book are far and wide. It is also simply and clearly written.
improving teamwork in your organisation,family & community.......1998-11-06
the first time that I have found an approach which looks at humans holistically and systemically. It is not a group of personality characteristics describing superficial behaviours, but a way of understanding and recognising internal processes particular to various human dynamics. It therefore goes much deeper than any other personality assessment technique I have seen and because of this can not be reduced to a paper and pencil test. However, the gift this approach brings is that it can be taught to everyday people and can provide access to better relationships and a greater understanding of how to release our judgement of others. A truly life changing book.
A most complete study of human diversity........1998-08-24
It is obvious that Dr. Seagal has worked extremely hard to confirm her research since 1979. Her style of writing is clear, concise and void of jargon. I found the content easy to absorb, understand and apply. Just the heightend awarness of how diverse we are has made a significant difference in how I work and related to people. I can see some real possibilities for applying in a business context.
A most complete study of human diversity........1998-08-14
It is obvious that Dr. Seagal has worked extremely hard to confirm her research since 1979. Her style of writing is clear, concise and void of jargon. I found the content easy to absorb, understand and apply. Just the heightened awarness of how diverse we are has made a significant difference in how I work and relate to people. I can understand why this work is being applied internationally, especially in business and education.
Book Description
If you've asked someone the secret to writing efficient, well-written software, the answer that you've probably gotten is "learn assembly language programming." By learning assembly language programming, you learn how the machine really operates and that knowledge will help you write better high-level language code. A dirty little secret assembly language programmers rarely admit to, however, is that what you really need to learn is machine organization, not assembly language programming. Write Great Code Vol I, the first in a series from assembly language expert Randall Hyde, dives right into machine organization without the extra overhead of learning assembly language programming at the same time. And since Write Great Code Vol I concentrates on the machine organization, not assembly language, the reader will learn in greater depth those subjects that are language-independent and of concern to a high level language programmer. Write Great Code Vol I will help programmers make wiser choices with respect to programming statements and data types when writing software, no matter which language they use.
Customer Reviews:
The computer book you'll NEVER read.........2007-07-24
If you're like most IT people out in the workforce today, you've got pressures from all sides - deadlines, keeping current with changes in platforms, hardware, software tools, etc. Gah! It never ends!
So, you pick up these "Write Great Code" books, thinking that you'll be a better programmer.
And it's interesting in a way that you remember when you were just getting into the IT field as a student and later as an employee and maybe now as a consultant or contractor.
But, then you realize that this is like thinking about how your car's components are working while you're driving madly to work on some beltway. Only your skills as a driver can keep you from getting hit by a big semi, not the working knowledge of your V8 engine. Guys who work on their cars on the weekend, know more about them than you do, but hey, it gets you to work and back.
And so, you sigh and put the book down and concentrate on your SQL, or your VB or whatever else keeps you employed.
Why?
Because your users and your manager don't care about what goes on at the machine level. They want the deliverables NOW. The efficiency of your code is of no importance to them, though it is to you.
However, with enough discipline and some thought to what you're doing, you CAN make this book work for you, and get an edge over someone else's sloppy code and maybe even save yourself some programming time.
Because this book is for the guys who are the computer counterparts of the greasy-looking guys on the street who could tell you what's wrong with your car, even if you can't.
Lucid explanation of concepts.......2007-07-06
Author has explained low-level concepts lucidly. It is easy on eyes. Basic concepts become very clear. It is one of those 'can't keep down without reading few chapters at a stretch' kind of technical book. Very few books have this edge. Just don't feel like stopping reading it.
Beginners must read this book before attempting to read more in-depth low-level technical books. This book is a must for people who are exposed to high-level languages but have not studied Computer Science.
Great way to understand data flow at the machine level.......2007-05-21
This is a great way to understand data flow at the machine level.
I especially like the part on memory and IO.
Great information... But do you really need it?.......2006-10-26
This is a great book but I have to disagree with the overall viewpoint. I've been doing embedded programming for a while and if that's all I'd ever done I would totally agree that understanding low level concepts helps write better code. However, I also write a lot of code in C#. People who normally use high level languages such as C#, VB.Net, or JAVA are probably not going to benefit much from this book. These languages are so far abstracted from the hardware level that the concepts are hard to apply anywhere. On the other hand, if you still use malloc on a daily basis, you need to read the book :) Anyway, the book is easy to read and I never caught any errors. If you want to learn about computers at a low level, then this is a great book to start with!
A must have book.......2006-10-21
Randall Hyde is doing really good job. Every software developer should read it.
Average customer rating:
- Good data but needs more specific examples
- This book is the foundation of modern bullying prevention!
|
Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do (Understanding Children's Worlds)
Dan Olweus
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
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The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence
-
Bullying Prevention Handbook: A Guide for Principals, Teachers, and Counselors
-
Schools Where Everyone Belongs: Practical Strategies for Reducing Bullying
-
And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to Protect Adolescents from Bullying, Harassment, and Emotional Violence
-
The Bully Free Classroom: Over 100 Tips and Strategies for Teachers K-8 (Updated Edition)
ASIN: 0631192417 |
Book Description
Bullying at School is the definitive book on bully/victim problems in school and on effective ways of counteracting and preventing such problems. On the basis of the author's large-scale studies and other research, it is known that bullying is a serious problem in all societies that have been studied so far, and that more than 15 percent of the school population in primary and secondary/junior high schools are involved, either as bullies or victims. The facts about bullying, its causes and consequences, are presented in clear and straightforward language. The book is a milestone in the study of bullying at school in that it offers a scientifically evaluated intervention program. The results of this extensive research are remarkable:- a reduction of bully/victim problems by 50 percent or more- a considerable drop in antisocial behavior such as vandalism, theft, drunkenness, and truancy- clear improvements in the "social climate" of the classroom and student satisfaction with school life.The book gives practical advice to school principals, teachers, and parents on how to implement a "whole school approach to bullying," and contains a valuable guide to help teachers and parents recognize if a child is being victimized or bullies others. Bullying at School is essential reading for all who are involved with children and young people.
Customer Reviews:
Good data but needs more specific examples.......2002-01-30
I was elected to my local board of education and we recently received a credible complaint from a parent that harassment of her son was being overlooked by school administrators. Accordingly, I felt obliged to read up on the issue of bullying. This book sets forth both the problem and the recommended solutions. Prof. Olweus is Norwegian and his studies primarily involve Scandinavian schools. Accordingly, questions came to my mind such as "Is Norway a more homogenious society than the United States? If so, are there any differences in both the problem and the solutions in a more ethnically heterogeneous society?" I don't know the answers but, the reader should keep these issues in mind when reading this book.
Prof. Olweus describes the problem and he sets forth well organized solutions to the problem which require involvement of teachers, administrators and parents, and further require communication with all students, even those who are neither bullies nor victims. The one problem I have with the book is that there are very few case histories and specific examples given. The book proposes solutions but does not provide a case history in which the specific solution was successfully applied to the problem at hand. Reliable data and sound recommendations are important but a few specific examples of how these recommendations worked would be helpful. For example, Olweus recommends that parents of a bully apply sanctions if the bullying behavior does not improve. He states, "The consequence should be associated with some degree of discomfort or unpleasantness, but corporal punishment must not be used." OK, fine; but what are specific examples of "discomfor or unpleasantness?" Where are the case histories giving examples? Without these, the book does not provide as fulfilling reading as it otherwise might. This book is well worth reading and I recommend it with the reservations expressed above.
This book is the foundation of modern bullying prevention!.......1999-11-08
This clear, brief, and practical book is based on extensive research and outlines an intervention to prevent bullying. Dr. Olweus's work has become the standard approach to bullying prevention, reflected in such programs as the University of Colorado "Blueprints for Violence Prevention" project ... As a counselor and trainer specializing in bullying prevention, I find this book indispensable, and recommend it highly.
Average customer rating:
- Great research into organisations
- Very useful book on organisational behaviour!
- a must read!
|
Understanding Organizations (Penguin Business Library)
Charles B. Handy
Manufacturer: Penguin Global
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Binding: Paperback
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The Age of Unreason
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The Hungry Spirit
ASIN: 0140156038 |
Book Description
In a new introduction to his classic text, Charles Handy demonstrates how the key concepts of culture, motivation, leadership, power, role-playing, and group-working remain as important today as when the book was first published. "Organizations are not objects. They are micro-societies." This core business text gives students and professionals the tools to analyze and improve these "micro-societies."
Customer Reviews:
Great research into organisations.......2000-12-31
Charles Handy is one of Britain's management gurus. This original edition of this book was written while he was professor at the London Business School. Although this book is not simple to read and is very comprehensive, it is an excellent introduction to understanding organisations (yes, just like the title).
The book consists of three parts. Part I introduces a set of models/frameworks, for better understanding of people and organisations. Handy selected six themes common to organisations - motivation, roles and interactions, leadership, power and influence, workings of groups, and cultures of organisations. Each of these themes receives an excellent, extremely in-depth literature review, which all have been updated in this 4th edition to include the latest literature and trends. Handy looks at each of these themes from various angles and does not really push the reader into any dominant one; "This book is eclectic. ... It is wise to be eclectic, to pick from each anything that helps, to compile the sort of personal anthology which is what book aims to be." In addition, Handy uses a large number of quotes from other academics to explain his comments.
In Part II, Handy looks at each of the themes introduced in Part I and their impact on organisations. This part is a lot less academic and Handy tries to apply the models/framework introduced in Part I into practice. "One bookcase for the theorectical models, another for the tips and hints on current practice. The discussion in this part is not intended to be a review of best current practice but rather an interpretation, often a provocative one, of the implications of some of the theories that we say we all subscribe to." Handy applies it to people of organisations and their development, the work of the organisation - and its design, politics and change, being a manager, and the future of organisations.
In Part III, Handy provides a brief overview of the relevant field of theory, makes suggestions on useful sources and gives references to the major studies mentioned in the text. "Part Three is for those who wonder about the sources of my ideas, concepts, and theories, or for those who wish to pursue any topic in greater depth." Handy does this on a chapter-by-chapter basis, which is very useful for any MBA-student or researcher.
This book is a comprehensive piece of work into organisations. It certainly helps you understand organisations better, but do not take this book too lightly as it is not for the fainthearted. It is so extremely comprehensive that I do not see anybody read this book in one go. On the other hand, I must stress that the literature reviewed and covered is spectacular and done fantastically. Handy's ability to bring this into perspective with practice is also very strong. A MUST for MBA-students and all other people interested in organisational studies.
Very useful book on organisational behaviour!.......2000-12-10
If you want a good grasp of the key concepts in organisational behaviour, Mr Handy has done a fantastic job of putting it in an inexpensively priced book which covers most if not all topics in the subject. In fact, even if you are not taking organisational behaviour as a subject, it is still relevant in Human Resource Management & Development courses. For the established HR practitioner, it would be a useful book to have on your work-shelf which you can occassionally dip in, to refresh yourself on key concepts.
a must read!.......1999-07-14
great work by Mr. handy. The book gives a deep insight and understanding on organisation effectives. It brings into light the various factors that does affect organisations which other business authors describe in parts. The book is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on the models and the second part on its implications. How theory works in practice. A good buy.
Books:
- Behavior in Organizations: Understanding and Managing the Human Side of Work (8th Edition)
- Behind Adobe Walls: The Hidden Homes and Gardens of Santa Fe and Taos
- Best Practices in Planning and Performance Management: From Data to Decisions (Wiley Best Practices)
- Black Swan Green: A Novel
- Blended Coaching: Skills and Strategies to Support Principal Development
- Blood Diamonds
- Built to Change: How to Achieve Sustained Organizational Effectiveness
- Bullying and Emotional Abuse in the Workplace: International Perspectives in Research and Practice
- Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World with CD-ROM
- Change Your Life in Seven Days: The World's Leading Hypnotist Shows You How
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
Project Management: A Managerial Approach
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, Third Edition (PMBOK Guides)
Improving Performance: How to Manage the White Space in the Organization Chart (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series)
Systems Analysis and Design Methods
Business Data Communications (5th Edition)
Poor theory, good applications.......1999-06-11
I would have given it a minus three stars if it had been available.......2005-10-03
