In this lively and entertaining book, Robin Wensley guides the reader through the basic analytical approaches to decision making required for more effective management practice. Packed with diagrams, anecdotes and examples which bring the book to life, Effective Management in Practice: - clearly presents a wide range of management tools, techniques and theoretical insights in just the right amount of depth for current and future managers - illustrates the need for a balanced approach, emphasizing the importance of the questioning process in clarifying the nature of action proposals and any underlying assumptions - eschews any approach which advocates one right way but at the same time encourages a greater appreciation of practical issues through analysis and theory Students of management, academics and any practitioner interested in exploring a range of different approaches to management will enjoy and treasure this book.
Offering a strategic orientation to crisis management, this fully updated edition of Crandall, Parnell, and Spillan's Crisis Management helps readers understand the importance of planning for crises within the wider framework of an organization's regular strategic management process. This strikingly engaging and easy-to-follow text focuses on a four-stage crisis management framework: 1) Landscape Survey: identifying potential crisis vulnerabilities, 2) Strategic Planning: organizing the crisis management team and writing the plan, 3) Crisis Management: addressing the crisis when it occurs, and 4) Organizational Learning: applying lessons from crises so they will be prevented or mitigated in the future. The second edition emphasizes the importance of managing both the internal landscape (those stakeholders within the organization, such as the employees, owners, and management) and the external landscape (those stakeholders outside of the organization, such as the media, customers, suppliers, general public, government agencies, and special interest groups).
In discussing a management topic, scholars, educators, practitioners, and the media often toss out the name of a theorist (Taylor, Simon, Weber) or make a sideways reference to a particular theory (Bureaucracy, Total Quality Management, Groupthink, etc.) and move on, as if assuming their audience possesses the necessary background to appreciate and integrate the reference. This is often far from the case. Individuals are frequently forced to seek out a hodgepodge of sources varying in quality and presentation to provide an overview of a particular idea. And reference librarians often find it difficult to guide readers to an informed, one-stop resource with just the basics-the "who, what, where, how, when, and why." In response, SAGE Reference plans to publish the two-volume Encyclopedia of Management Theory, available in both print and electronic formats. This work is designed to serve as a core reference for anyone interested in the essentials of contemporary management theory. Drawing together a team of international scholars, it examines the global landscape of the key theories and the theorists behind them, presenting them in the context needed to understand their strengths and weaknesses to thoughtfully apply them. In addition to interpretations of long-established theories, it also offers essays on cutting-edge research as one might find in a handbook. And, like an unabridged dictionary, it provides concise, to-the-point definitions of key concepts, ideas, schools, and figures. Features and Benefits: * Two volumes containing 335-350 signed entries provide users with the most authoritative and thorough reference resources available on management theory, both in terms of breadth and depth of coverage. * To ease navigation between and among related entries, a Reader's Guide groups entries thematically and each entry is followed by Cross-References. * In the electronic version, the Reader's Guide combines with the Cross-References and a detailed Index to provide robust search-and-browse capabilities. * An appendix with a Chronology of Management Theory allows students to easily chart directions and trends in thought and theory from early times to the present. * Suggestions for Further Reading at the end of each entry guide readers to sources for more detailed research and discussion.
Crisis is varied and unavoidable. We see crisis every day within organizations, governments, businesses and the economy. A true crisis differs from a 'routine' emergency, such as a water pipe bursting in the kitchen. Per one definition, "it is associated with urgent, high-stakes challenges in which the outcomes can vary widely (and are very negative at one end of the spectrum) and will depend on the actions taken by those involved". Successfully engaging, dealing with, and working through a crisis requires an understanding of options and tools for individual and joint decision making. The Encyclopedia of Crisis Management comprehensively overviews concepts and techniques for effectively assessing, analyzing, managing, and resolving crises, whether they be organizational, business, community, or political. From general theories and concepts exploring the meaning and causes of crisis to practical strategies and techniques relevant to crises of specific types, crisis management is thoroughly explored.
This four-volume set looks at the evolution of ideas around that critical government and business strategic interface, Public Affairs, and how our understanding and conceptualisation of the discipline and topic area has changed as the subject has become rapidly grown and become more important over the past decade with globalisation. Through thematic exploration of the key conceptual and empirical articles to have come out of the field, public affairs is here understood as a discipline and professional practice, taking in: the organisation and structuring of the public affairs function; the characteristics and factors influencing the effectiveness of public affairs; the profile, characteristics and competencies of public affairs practitioners; the value of public affairs; what is understood about 'best practice' in the public affairs context, and its limitations; and the international perspective of public affairs. Skilfully edited and introduced by a leading voice in the field, this major work shines a spotlight on a subject which is increasingly gaining strategic significance across disciplines on the global stage. Volume One: Introduction and definition Volume Two: Strategy Volume Three: Globalization Volume Four: Critical Issues in Public Affairs
Designed to give students and public relations professionals the knowledge and skills they need to become successful crisis managers, this practical book includes a wide range of cases that explore crisis communication and management in action. In the first two chapters, the author introduces key theories and principles in crisis communication, which students apply by analyzing 17 cases drawn from recent headlines. Cases are explored from pre-crisis, mid-crisis, and post-crisis communication perspectives, and include a range of predominant crisis scenarios from product recalls to lawsuits to environmental disasters
What and who is business for? What exactly is work and how can we distinguish it from other activity? Do businesses operate along different ethical lines from individuals? This clear and accessible text introduces key philosophical concepts and ideas and applies them to fundamental issues in management and organizations. Written for business and management students with no previous knowledge of philosophy, this text will lead readers to question the basic assumptions widely made about business and management. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Management is packed with case studies and examples which provoke thought and discussion. Coverage includes crucial topics such as business ethics, culture and leadership. Key features: - Boxed definitions of key concepts - Real life case studies and examples - Questions for Reflection - Further reading This text is essential reading for any business and management student wanting to think creatively.
Enhancing Evaluation Use: Insights from Internal Evaluation Units offers invaluable insights from real evaluators who share strategies they have adopted through their own experiences in evaluation. Readers will learn about the challenges, solutions, and lessons drawn from the experience of evaluators working in a wide range of organizations. Referencing the latest literature, contributors discuss factors that help or undermine attempts to foster an evaluative thinking and learning culture within an organization. Applicable in a wide range of situations, their accounts demonstrate the initiative and innovative thinking they use to address challenges in various, sometimes complex, evaluation settings. Questions at the end of each chapter stimulate thought and discussions about the issues raised and allow readers to apply their findings to their own situations.
What and who is business for? What exactly is work and how can we distinguish it from other activity? Do businesses operate along different ethical lines from individuals? This clear and accessible text introduces key philosophical concepts and ideas and applies them to fundamental issues in management and organizations. Written for business and management students with no previous knowledge of philosophy, this text will lead readers to question the basic assumptions widely made about business and management. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Management is packed with case studies and examples which provoke thought and discussion. Coverage includes crucial topics such as business ethics, culture and leadership. Key features: - Boxed definitions of key concepts - Real life case studies and examples - Questions for Reflection - Further reading This text is essential reading for any business and management student wanting to think creatively.
