How can you obtain real productivity results from all this Web technology your company has just purchased? How can you master the confusing watershed of over-hyped concepts, killer-apps and born-again Pure-play consultants? This book is the outcome of many discussions with managers dealing with the rise of e-business—at firm and/or team level. Gurus and pundits claim that the Web and its applications are poised to trigger a profound workplace revolution. The book shows that the Web’s real promise lies in a service productivity revolution. It is structured to help the reader in his or her understanding of this three-step transformation: —“business as usual, but faster”: basic uses of e-technologies, such as e-mail, Websites, online research and how simple tools can be used effectively to obtain office productivity improvements; —“same business, new channels”: draw the implications for your business of developments such as e-commerce, marketplaces, Internet marketing and intranets; —“the e-management revolution”: welcome to the e-revolution—explore how the Web inventors’ dreams lead to a constant flow of new Web based applications and how these might, as they get absorbed by the market, change the face of business as we know it.

This work explores differing historical patterns in the adoption of the three major models of organizational management: scientific management; human relations; and structural analysis. The author takes a fresh look at how managers have used these models in four countries during the 20th century.

`The authors bring a spark of vitality and life to an area that could be cynically viewed as a series of conflicting fads and fashions....I would recommend anyone in the process of reviewing or designing an entrepreneurship development course to consider the benefits that this book would bring to the teaching process′ - Entrepreneurship and Innovation `Using fiction in the classroom as an approach to stimulating the study of people in organizations is well-established. What this book contributes is a way of exploring some of the existential elements of life in organizations, which are typically difficult to study. It will be on my reading lists. Hopefully, this example, and regrettably few others which exist, will contribute in the long term to the reformulation of how the lived experience of organizational life may be explored in the classroom′ - Leadership & Organization Development Journal Based on courses taught by the authors over many years, this innovative text is a lively and accessible analysis of people at work and the problems they have to confront. The student is introduced to a range of key themes in management such as: power and identity; consumption and bureaucracy; rational choice and meaning all through the medium of characters and situations in contemporary literature. The clear theoretical framework, supported by footnotes, summaries and further reading guides, makes this an introduction to management the student will find useful as well as enjoyable.

Managers are significant actors in contemporary organizations and yet there is very little deep-level analysis of what managers do, and how they understand their managerial selves and social situations. Instead of evaluating management techniques according to their internal logic and systematic qualities, this book advances the 'practice perspective', using behaviour and activities of successful, experienced, and skilled managers as the primary data for theorizing good management. In this book, academics review classic literature on managerial work, discuss methodological and theoretical approaches, and present empirical studies on various kinds of managers at different levels of organizations, in different roles, and different sectors, from construction site managers and CEOs of large companies to university vice chancellors and front-line health care managers. It makes the case for studies of managerial work that look beyond the rational and ordered world to the challenges presented by, inter alia, work and information overload, complexity, performance pressures, unintended consequences, and irreconcilable expectations.

This book provides support to academics as well as managers, who deal with policies and strategies related to work issues. Effective work practices and good employee relations are a real necessity of nowadays organizations, as they can help to reduce absenteeism, employee turnover and organizational costs. Instead, they support high levels of commitment, effectiveness, performance as well as productivity. The book focusses on the implications of those changes in productivity and organizations management. It explores the models, tools and processes used by organizations in order to help managers become better prepared to face the challenges and changes in work and consequently, in the way how to manage todays' organizations.

This updated edition of a classic study of ethics in business presents an eye-opening account of how corporate managers think the world works, and how big organizations shape moral consciousness. Robert Jackall takes the reader inside a topsy-turvy world where hard work does not necessarily lead to success, but sharp talk, self-promotion, powerful patrons, and sheer luck might. This edition includes a new foreword linking the themes of Moral Mazes to the financial tsunami that engulfed the world economy in 2008.

A human-centric guide to solving complex problems in engineering management, from sizing teams to handling technical debt. There’s a saying that people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. Management is a key part of any organization, yet the discipline is often self-taught and unstructured. Getting to the good solutions for complex management challenges can make the difference between fulfillment and frustration for teams—and, ultimately, between the success and failure of companies. Will Larson’s An Elegant Puzzle focuses on the particular challenges of engineering management—from sizing teams to handling technical debt to performing succession planning—and provides a path to the good solutions. Drawing from his experience at Digg, Uber, and Stripe, Larson has developed a thoughtful approach to engineering management for leaders of all levels at companies of all sizes. An Elegant Puzzle balances structured principles and human-centric thinking to help any leader create more effective and rewarding organizations for engineers to thrive in.

Discover everything you need to know to improve your management skills, and understand key management and business theories with this unique graphic guide. Combining clear, jargon-free language and bold, eye-catching graphics, How Management Works is a definitive and user-friendly guide to all aspects of organizational management. Learn whether it is more e­ffective to lead through influence or control? Is delegation the key to productivity and how do you deal with di­fferent personalities? Drawing on the latest theories and practices - and packed with graphics and diagrams that demystify complex management concepts - this book explains everything you need to know to build your management skills and get the very best out of your team. It is essential reading if you are an established or aspiring manager, or are studying a course in business or management. Much more than a standard business-management or self-help book, How Management Works shows you what other titles only tell you, combining solid reference with no-nonsense advice. It is the perfect primer for anyone looking to start their own business, become a more effective leader, or simply learn more about the world of business and management.

In today's rush towards e-Business many organizations have failed to recognize that the responsibilities of IT Managers have significantly changed. No longer do the tried and trusted methods of the 3- or 4-GL lifecycle retain the value they once possessed; and the more we try to fit new e-Business developments into old and ill-fitting processes and practices, the greater the danger of compromising the business altogether. Ian Gouge offers an insight into the very real - and new - challenges faced by IT managers and professionals, such as: - What is e-Business? - What are the implications of e-Business for the IT Professional? - What are the 'systems' expectations of both internal and external customers? What does the IT Manager need to consider to make an effective contribution to the new business model e-Management is a valuable guide for those responsible for the management of IT in the burgeoning world of e-Business. It also provides insight for those business managers who are more dependent on information technology for their business than perhaps they realise.