Organization Development at Work

Praise for Reinventing Organization Development «A hard hitting yet hopeful look at a field concerned with renewal that is in need of renewal itself. This book is full of intelligent questions, provocative appraisals, and prescriptions for action that they serve.» -Rosabeth Moss Kanter, chaired professor, Harvard Business School; author, Confidence: How?Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End «Wise, invaluable advice that the field and its practitioners should heed if the field of OD is to take its rightful place as an applied behavioral science that can make a difference in the economic and human affairs of organizations.» -Michael Beer, professor emeritus, Harvard Business School; chairman, Center for Organizational Fitness «Few disciplines in decline have subjected themselves to so profound a self-evaluation. It should lead ?to a rejuvenation of the field. Whether or not it does, there is a great deal to learn here about organizations and relevant professional practice.» -Russell Ackoff, professor emeritus, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania «Two of the leaders of the field of OD have collaborated to present us with a compelling and controversial state of the art.» -Len Schlesinger, vice chairman and chief operating officer, Limited Brands «The book challenges OD consultants to think broadly about their organizational roles and to assert their rightful place in organizations.» -Jean M. Bartunek, Robert A. and Evelyn J. Ferris Chair Professor of Organization Studies, Boston College

In his best-selling book, The Passion Plan, Richard Chang showed individuals how to discover their passion and turn it into personal and professional fulfillment. Now, in The Passion Plan at Work he shows how to bring passion into the workplace–and turn good companies into great ones. Adapting his seven-step model for individuals to an organizational perspective, Chang explains how passion can provide direction and improve performance at all levels of a company. Carefully leading readers through his do-it-yourself process, Chang provides specific guidelines for creating an action plan that galvanizes an organization around passion. Along the way he provides practical tools–questionnaires, worksheets, and checklists–to help assess an organization's Passion Profile and make passion a big part of your company's ongoing success.

The book offers important insight relevant to Corporate, Government and Global organizations management in general. The internationally recognised authors tackle vital issues in decision making, how organizational risk is managed, how can technological and organizational complexities interact, what are the impediments for effective learning and how large, medium, and small organizations can, and in fact must, increase their resilience. Managers, organizational consultants, expert professionals, and training specialists; particularly those in high risk organizations, may find the issues covered in the book relevant to their daily work and a potential catalyst for thought and action. A timely analysis of the Columbia disaster and the organizational lessons that can be learned from it. Includes contributions from those involved in the Investigation Board report into the incident. Tackles vital issues such as the role of time pressures and goal conflict in decision making, and the impediments for effective learning. Examines how organizational risk is managed and how technological and organizational complexities interact. Assesses how large, medium, and small organizations can, and in fact must, increase their resilience. Questions our eagerness to embrace new technologies, yet reluctance to accept the risks of innovation. Offers a step by step understanding of the complex factors that led to disaster.

This book comes at a time when we are asking searching questions: How exactly do we earn the loyalty, trust and commitment of our people? How do we balance the needs of our organisations to do more with less with the need to create environments in which people can grow, develop and achieve their aspirations? The answers lie within each of those through whom so much can be achieved. This book is the key to unlocking them. –Gareth Ford, Training & Development Manager, Atkins «Perfect Timing! Amongst the vast selection of coaching literature, this book is powerful in 3 ways. * It has the potential to engage even the most ardent cynic to „have a go“ * It releases a well-timed boost to existing passionate believers of coaching * It is invaluable to anyone with responsibility for managing, training and development, with well thought-out strategic and realistic approaches to creating and implementing a coaching culture in any business.» –Fiona Green, Training Manager, ScS Upholstery plc «How much of your team's full potential do you see at work? 90%? 30%? 60%? Many of us simply don't know. In a world of relentless change is it any wonder that so much can interfere with how well we perform at work. In a practical approach Matt Somers explores how coaching can be used to release that potential. Matt recognises that the reaction in the work place to coaching can range from mild apathy to downright hostility. It is this firm grip on reality that considerably increases the reader's chances of becoming a successful coach. In today's business environment ignore the principles and ideas embodied in this book at your peril!» –Simon Hepinstall, Chief Executive, Storey Carpets Limited «This is an extremely practical book underpinned by a powerful coaching model that is carefully defined and applied throughout. Matt's candid and insightful approach provides accessible information for those new to coaching and those wanting to refine their coaching approach. There are number of coaching texts emerging onto the scene and it is refreshing to see a book so grounded in managerial and organizational reality.» –Jane Turner, Programme Director – Coaching, Newcastle Business School,Northumbria University

This book's unique perspective stems from its “knowledge diamond” framework to examine how individuals, communities, organizations and host industries reciprocally influence each other in the course of knowledge work. This highly topical book focuses on work-based projects as a focus for organizational learning. Establishes the link between individual, community, organization and industry learning. Suggests that organizations need to recognise and understand this link if they are to capitalize on project-based learning. Incorporates material on project-based learning in virtual communities. Refers to different examples, such as the film industry, the software industry and the boat building industry. Includes end-of-chapter questions provoking reflection and discussion.

Most Fortune 500 companies still struggle with workplace planning and design issues. Millions of dollars are invested each year by companies with the expectation that new buildings and major renovations will help transform their culture, spark innovation, and herald new work patterns that strengthen performance while reducing costs. But, as Franklin Becker points out, popular trends do not always make good sense. Offices at Work addresses the fundamental design issues that organizational leaders confront such as: How do we create a low-cost flexible environment that motivates employees and stimulates learning? Is it worth our spending the time, money, and effort to consolidate our disparate buildings into a new corporate campus? How else can we address status concerns besides giving people offices? Order your copy today!

The concept of 'patriarchy' is one which signals a sharp divide between traditions of feminist thought. Sylvia Walby attempts to conceptualize 'patriarchy' in a way that takes account not only of the complexity of relationships of gender, but also of the subtleties of the interconnections of patriarchy and capitalism. She rejects those accounts which treat patriarchy as a unified set of relations, or which confine the site of patriarchy to any one privileged sphere such as the family. Instead, she elaborates a novel view of patriarchy as a set of 'relatively autonomous relations', the connections between which are spelled out through a variety of detailed case studies. In contrast to many other views of 'capitalist patriarchy', Sylvia Walby characterizes the relationship between capitalism and patriarchy as a relationship, not of harmony and mutual accommodation, but of tension and conflict. This thesis is substantiated through a comparative historical analysis of three contrasting areas of employment: cotton textiles, engineering and clerical work. These analyses show the shortcomings of much conventional literature in sociology, history and economics on women's employment, which pays insufficient attention to the independence of patriarchal relations. The book draws upon sociological, historical, economic and geographic materials to argue for an understanding of gender relations in terms of the specific tensions and compromises between patriarchal and capitalist relations. Exploring the impact of the state on patterns of employment and unemployment completes a book rich in theoretical and empirical analysis. Patriarchy at Work will be recognized as a major contribution to feminist thought and the social sciences.

This highly topical book is a concise and accessible account of the relationship between technology and work. Firstly, it reviews and critically assesses a variety of recent approaches to the social and cultural dimensions of technology. Secondly, it examines the implications of these new approaches for existing ideas about the nature of technology and work organization. At the core of much thinking about technology is the assumption that the technical character and capacity of artefacts is given. The enduring image of deus ex machina captures the idea that it is the essential capacity 'within' a technology which, in the end, accounts for the way we organize ourselves, our work and other life experiences. Recent work in the sociology of technology, by contrast, sets out relativist and constructivist accounts of technology, which begin to challenge this central assumption. The Machine at Work includes a reinterpretation of the Luddites; a review of the social processes of development in information technology; a reassessment of theories of the role of technology in work; and an analysis of the common limitations of some constructivist and feminist perspectives on technology. The book argues that only a commitment to a particular conception of constructivism enables the kind of radical rethinking about technology and work relations that is needed. This engaging and informative text will be of interest to students in a range of subject areas – from sociology, organizational theory and behaviour, to industrial relations, management and business studies.

The definitive organization management text for executives and aspiring business leaders Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practices, Second Edition is the completely updated and revised landmark guide to «macro» organization theory and design, fully grounded in current international practice. International management expert John Child explores the conditions facilitating the development of new organizational forms and provides up-to-date coverage of the key developments driving new organization structure and practice. This revised Second Edition includes a new introductory section on Organization Theory as well as a complete Instructor Manual updated with new material on the basic principles of organizational design. With detailed case studies and examples from throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and North America, Organization provides a truly international overview for advanced students and business executives who want to be at the forefront of the evolution in Organization Theory. 21st Century organizations will be faced with entirely new challenges and opportunities than those faced by previous generations, and emerging business leaders must understand the new «macro» realities in order to succeed. Organization will help readers: Understand the «macro» organization, which is distinct from organizational behaviour Explore the way organizations fit into the international business environment and global economy Analyze the way organizational structure and design affect management performance Apply advanced organization theory and principles to day to day management activities Written by one of the foremost scholars, the fully updated Second Edition of this successful text provides executives and advanced business students with a wide-ranging and trustworthy guide to organizations as the conditions for their survival in our global business environment change.

Human service organizations are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their programs work. Organization Practice, Second Edition helps students and professionals in human services and nonprofit management understand complex behaviors in organizations. This new edition provides a new, practical model for understanding cultural identities within organizations. Also, it is significantly revised to include numerous real-world cases, critical thinking questions, empirical support, and engaging exercises. Social workers, as well as public health and nonprofit administrators will benefit from the insights in this book.