Reviews (5)

Finally a Cure for Insomnia!
Milkovich and Newman? Do the other reviewer's have the right book As I right this review I have the book next to me and I can't find any reference to a Milkovich and Newman?Whoever these fine people are I can't see how they have anything to do with this textbook.
DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY
This is one of the worst books I have ever bought.I had to buy it for a college course and I am furious that my teacher used this one.It is totally unprofessional and too general. Not only myself but others have complained about theboringness and also but find it completely useless.
Easy reading
I really liked this book. If you are interested in psychology and management, this book would be a good start. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Human Resources & Personnel Management    5. Management - General    6. Organizational Behavior    7. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (8)

No pain, no gain--go for the straight and narrow!
The reviewer that refers to this book as being "painful" is partly right. This book is difficult to read, that's for sure. However, leadership, as a topic is not simple. There are no quick fixes. To learn about leadership you will have to read a lot, particularly what the researchers have written. The topic is not simple and certainly cannot be summarized in simple graphs or charts.You'll need some level of intelligence to understand "The nature of leadership"
Painful!
This book has an impressive reference list occupying 57 pages, but in the attempt to cover everything it leaves you with almost nothing useful. It is about the most painful book I have read since my quantum physics textbook back in university. It is poorly written and has virtually no diagrams or visual display of concepts which would be a welcome addition in the 340 pages of 8 pitch font text. I would skip this one.

Managers can read books, you know!
I get the feeling that some of the comments by readers suggest that managers cannot understand academic books. We can, if we buckle down and read them. Sure, the quick one-liners of a Covey or a Blanchard are cool and easy to understand. After a while, though, those books become a bit empty. Too much of "how too" and not enough of "why".
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Leadership    5. Organizational Behavior    6. Business & Economics / Organizational Behavior   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Industrial organization    5. Management - General    6. Negotiating    7. Organizational theory & behaviour    8. Social theory   

Reviews (6)

This is an important book for business leaders
Anyone who has been through a performance review or had to deliver one knows they are not providing the performance benefit they were designed to provide.In fact, they are usually demotivating and have a negative impact on performance.As a consultant to management and coach to CEOs, my experience has been that everyone hates the process, it doesn't deliver and it's painful.Garold Markle has an alternative which is working, is constructive, and leads to a feedback-rich culture of performance.Contrast this to the blame-oriented approach that we inherited.This is an important work.I recommend it highly.His approiach is clear and the tools supportive.

caring , coaching and compassion with accountability
In my role as an advisor to CEO's, Presidents, and owners of midsize to large corporations,Gary's book has been very helpful and enlightening. After reading Gary's book, I highlighted several parts of it to share with those final decision makers. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Most have purchased the book and shared it with their top staff for implimentation. Gary's approach of Catalytic Coaching integrates, in a clear way, the elements of caring, coaching, and compassion, with accountability, that so many business are searching for these days. I would recommend buying the book first and then contacting Gary Markle.

Catalytic Coaching Effective Even in Large Law Firm
As managing partner for a large, downtown Houston law firm, I was searching for a new method of working with young lawyers and support staff and helping them grow.I found what I was searching for in Catalytic Coaching!After taking on the role of "coach", I have seenseveral personnel problems simply disappear and morale in our multi-flooroffice has skyrocketed. While I was not able to directly utilize theworksheets and action plans set forth in the appendix, the balance of thebook was miraculously relevant to and instrumental in getting control ofour personnel difficulties. This process is NOT liberal "raise theemployee's self-esteem banter"...it IS an effective process and avaluable resource for any business, large or small. Both our organizationand our employees have benefitted tremendously from it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Career/Job    4. Employees    5. Human Resources & Personnel Management    6. Mentoring in business    7. Motivational    8. Performance Appraisal    9. Personnel And Human Resources Management    10. Rating of    11. Supervision of employees    12. Business & Economics / Human Resources & Personnel Management    13. Industrial relations    14. Organizational theory & behaviour    15. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (1)

Its alright
This book is alright for a basic course but lacks some vital deffinitions. Also, some vocabulary words are hilited and some are left without making them difficult to find. In a few cases there are no deffinitions for words. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business Law    3. Business/Economics    4. Criminal Law    5. Criminal Law - General    6. Criminal Procedure    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Legal assistants    10. United States    11. Business & Economics / General    12. Organizational theory & behaviour    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

Valid Scientific Writing - misses detailed "How To" answers
After being disappointed by Cary Cherniss' book on "promoting" emotional intelligence, I was rather reluctant to spend money on this one, so I ordered a used copy through Amazon (very satisfactory: the copy I got was as good as new).I must say that I find my money well spent.In fact, the only reason why this book doesn't get 5 stars is that it's too scientific for practical application.Read more

Subjects:  1. Assessment, Testing & Measurement    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Emotional intelligence    5. Emotional intelligence tests    6. Emotions    7. Human Resources & Personnel Management    8. Industrial & Organizational Psychology    9. Intelligence Testing    10. Organizational Behavior    11. Psychological aspects    12. Psychology    13. Success in business    14. Work    15. Business & Economics / Organizational Behavior    16. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (26)

Great Resource for Practitioners
The second edition of "Strategic Organizational Change" is even better than the first edition. Beitler has a great way of integrating theory and practice. His work is easy-to-read and very useful. I have used his checklists in practice several times. "A systematic approach to organizational change"--this will make your life easier!

Best book on organizational change available
This is necessity for any personal library! I am a PhD-ABD (doctoral candidate) and have done vast research on organizational change over the past four years. Dr. Beitler's writing covers the topic expansively and thoroughly. His books are not filled with the usual dry-academic and mundane language found in similar books, but is amazingly very interesting, filled with sound theory and application--yet, backed with supporting academic literature tucked away for verification and further reference.His writing style is very comfortable, easy to process, yet academically thorough and sound.
Change Managed is Chaos Avoided
Being experienced in the chaos that poorly managed change can create within organizations, I fully appreciate the concise and insightful approach to managing change that Dr. Beitler takes in his book. Morale, productivity, and service all suffer when change adversely affects an organization. From the start, Dr. Beitler takes a strategy driven approach and helps the reader to understand obstacles and resistance change agents will encounter.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Organizational Behavior    5. Structural Adjustment   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Case studies    5. Development - Business Development    6. Human Resources & Personnel Management    7. Leadership    8. Management - General    9. Organizational Behavior    10. Organizational change    11. Business & Economics / Organizational Behavior    12. Business & Management   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Education    5. Human Resources & Personnel Management    6. Management    7. Organizational Behavior    8. Personnel management    9. Business & Economics / Human Resources & Personnel Management    10. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (4)

Precise Methods for Gathering Process Data
I'm an educator in a midwest insurance company so I related easily to the author's examples which are based on Farmer's Insurance.It is easy to recognize the author's auditing background because their methods are precise and complete.I will use their written experience to conduct classes of my own.I have two observations from the book: 1. Entity types are identified as Process, Unit, Task, and Action.These correspond to Process, Subprocess, Activity, and Step which are somewhat better known; 2. The examples and case study of insurance applications will appeal to those in an identical or similar industry.

IT WORKS!
We, Optimal CAE, Inc., have used this process for the last few years and it works GREAT!Ignore the previous feedback!The interview approach, if done correctly, allows you a behind the scenes look at what is really happening.Currently, we process map ALL of the Ford Motor Company assembly and stamping plants and this method has helped us identify disconnects even in organizations of this size. CAUTION:SERIOUS FLAWS IN THIS APPROACH TO PROCESS MAPPING
I have never written a review in my life, but for this book, I will make an exception.Read more

Subjects:  1. Auditing - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Consumer satisfaction    6. Customer Service    7. Customer relations    8. Management    9. Reengineering (Management)    10. Business & Economics / Auditing    11. Customer services    12. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (1)

A Great Book for Reference
This book is not only benefical to use when taking this particular class, but also as a great reference to anyone who is interested in learning any parts of the law.With this book you are able to learn how to research the law in a way that is easy for you to understand. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Law    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Legal Writing    5. Legal composition    6. Legal research    7. Research    8. United States    9. Business & Economics / General    10. Jurisprudence & General Issues    11. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (6)

An Excellent Source of Information
I felt this book was a valuable source of information.I needed a brief account on the necessary components on being a successful and effective team leader.This book led me from step to step on how to go about learning how to be a successful team manager.It included the basic know-how of team leadership, like being prepared and posing crucial questions to the team.However, it also went in-depth into the necessary skills needed in order to manage a goal-oriented group.I felt that this book not only acknowledged how to plan for a discussion, but it also looked at the real truth that can come up in group discussion. It analyzed the ins and outs of a group dynamic and even suggested ways of combating difficulties that arise in the process.The authors, Donald Hackett and Charles L. Martin, have a style of writing that is efficient, easy to grasp, and sensible.They were able to provide a step by step analysis on what it takes to be a valuable facilitator, but also the things that come up that leaders need to deal with carefully.Their topic ranges from the basic start of what a facilitator is to what skills a team leader needs.Then they consistently maintain this vision of how an effective leader can lead the group to a successful completion of the task.I enjoyed reading this book, because it not only opened my eyes to how I see leaders perform in groups I have been involved in, but I also know now how to be a successful facilitator in groups that I may choose to lead in the future.I can know use these suggestions and techniques to really drive a team into successful task completion.I highly recommend this book to anyone who has thought about leading a team in group discussion.The authors' simple, to the point style of writing, including examples and suggestions, made for a delightful read.I enjoyed reading this book as much I enjoyed learning from it as well.

Team Facilitation-Not a Mystery Anymore
A wonderful book for a person whose new to facilitating teams.The writing is in language that's very easy to understand, and the concepts are presented clearly.The book takes the reader on a step by step progression of the processes and tools required to help meetings be productive and efficient. Cudos to the authors, who created a wonderful and effective tool.

Team Facilitation-Not a Mystery Anymore
A wonderful book for a person whose new to facilitating teams.The writing is in language that's very easy to understand, and the concepts are presented clearly.The book takes the reader on a step by step progression of the processes and tools required to help meetings be productive and efficient. Cudos to the authors, who created a wonderful and effective tool. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Organization    4. Business/Economics    5. Communication in management    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Group facilitation    8. Leadership    9. Leadership In Business    10. Management - Teams    11. Organizational Behavior    12. Teams in the workplace    13. Computers / General    14. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (2)

Absolutely outstanding
I am a graphic design professional and the daily application, negotiation and consideration of 'communication' in all of its forms impacts my work, and this is mostly referring to the communication that occurs between people and societies, over and above that of 'designed communication' through the products of a graphic design project. I commenced a Masters Degree in Organisational and Professional Communication, and found that this text was far superior to everything I was presented in the degree... this book crystalises every pivotal concept, in clear, accessible, and credible language... but most of all bridges the gap between academia and actual practice. I'm so thrilled with this book. It's like a bible to everything that matters... understanding more about the nature of human beings and relationships in all aspects of modern life. I would recommend this book to literally anyone.

Making Org Comm Understandable
I am a communication graduate student, so I've read a lot of organization communication texts and readers. I've read my Weick, my Mumby, my Deetz, my Jablin, my Putnam & my Poole. While I would never suggest that anyone ever forgo reading primary sources, who can argue that sometimes we just lack the time to read everything we would like to? That is where this book comes in.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business/Economics    5. Organizational Behavior    6. Language Arts & Disciplines / Speech   

Reviews (7)

Highly Recommended!
Authors Joel Stern and John Shiely advocate a total revolution in the way companies are valued and measured. They make a convincing case for using EVA ("Economic Value Added") as the primary measure of corporate performance. The authors argue that the SEC's yardstick for corporate reporting, the "Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures" (GAAP), was designed to protect lenders by depicting a company's liquidation value. As such, GAAP provides an overly conservative and only marginally accurate picture of financial health. EVA principles - at least according to the consultants who advise companies on using them - evaluate intangible assets more realistically and correspond more closely to stock market performance. We from getAbstract recommend this book to executives who seek improved corporate financial and market performance, and to investors interested in understanding how value is created and maintained.

Aligning Shareholder and Manager Interests
One of the most difficult questions to answer is what a company's worth is.Two developments in American Capitalism have contributed to the question's complexity.First, shareholders have divorced themselves from the corporations operation, leaving the task to professional managers. EVA from a Senior Management Perspective
EVA Challenge was OK. It is more geared towards senior managers who are thinking about EVA as a model for their companies. In that regard, this books does a fine job.Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - Managerial    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Corporate Finance    6. Economic value added    7. Entrepreneurship    8. Management    9. Management - General    10. Managerial Finance    11. Organizational Behavior    12. Business & Economics / Finance    13. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (21)

Productive New Concepts
This is a wonderful but dangerous book. The 11 and 1/2 weird ideas it contains are terrific, exciting and slippery. Use them right and you could transform your company into a hotbed of innovation. Use them wrong and you could also transform your company into a disorganized mess. Author Robert I. Sutton clearly explains that some situations do not require innovation - that they are, in fact, terrible settings for new things. Companies focus on the routine for an extremely logical reason: it makes money now. Identifying situations that can make money with routine work versus circumstances that require change is a tough distinction, particularly since innovation requires many failures, disrupts your culture and forces you to take a rough look into the future. We thus recommend this book to a select group: those who know their fields and organizations extremely well. If you can see clearly through both the current jargon that promotes innovation and your organization's often unspoken prejudices, you will find this book exciting and extremely productive.

Not so weird ideas for innovation labeled weirdly
This book is a useful and fun read. It offers some solid ideas for innovation but the ideas are labeled in order to draw attention. For instance, the first idea is, "Hire "slow learners"", however the intention behind this is just hire stubborn people who are unaffected by others opinions and norms. These people will go against the standards and breed creativity. Another idea is "Find some happy people and make them fight" with the basic idea behind this technique being get optimistic people, who are naturally more creative. Put them in a room together and let them bounce ideas together until a new and improved idea is created.
Very useful - full of a dozen great ideas
Choose your favourite weird (or not so weird) idea. I found about 20 in the end. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consulting    5. Creative ability    6. Creative ability in business    7. Decision Making & Problem Solving    8. Executive Management    9. Management    10. Management - General    11. Organizational Behavior    12. Organizational change    13. Strategic Planning    14. Business & Economics / Management    15. Management decision making    16. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (10)

A sound theory and practical methods
This is a very readable book for which we intend to build courseware around.The book is laid out in a logical and progressive order.Each chapter table of contents can be used as headers for class notes.At the end of each chapter, there's an excellent summary and graphic diagrams or tables that can be used as jobaids.If you read, understand, and apply the information in this book it will definetely enable you to make more accurate assessements of "undesirable effects" and propose sensible solutions.

Root-Cause Analysis and Reality Trees
Dettmer's discussion on finding root causes of undesirable conditions or effects is the best I've seen.It's easy to go down a rathole when trying to drill into a set of what appears to be causes of the undisirable conditions.He also shows strong value of using reality trees to define what is and how we might be able to get to what ought to be.
Tools for reaching The Goal!
Many readers are familiar with Eliyahu Goldratt's hugely successful business novels The Goal and Its Not Luck. In these two books and his non-fiction work, Goldratt presents his "Theory of Constraints" and examples of how to apply it in practice.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Industrial & Organizational Psychology    5. Industrial Psychology    6. Management - General    7. Organizational Behavior In Business    8. Organizational behavior    9. Organizational effectiveness    10. Problem solving    11. Psychology, Industrial    12. Quality Control    13. Reference - General    14. Macroeconomics    15. Occupational & industrial psychology    16. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Human Resources & Personnel Management    5. Organizational Behavior   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business Ethics    3. Social Science    4. Sociology    5. Sociology - General    6. Business & Economics / Business Ethics    7. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Reviews (1)

Sound advice in an easy to read form but nothing new
A book on creativity in business lives in a very crowded space these days and this one doesn't really offer much to make it stand out from the crowd. Despite being a quick and easy read, it offers little more than motherhood statements about the importance of developing creativity skills. Anyone with the most basic experience in creativity and innovation will recognise the basic concepts, while someone who is new to the area will be patently uncomfortable with the tone and language used in the book.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Life - General    4. Business/Economics    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Management - General    7. Motivational    8. Business & Economics / General    9. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (7)

A How-to manual for Change Managers
The author sees the tradition vertical structure of business as an outdated structure from the industrial era.This book pushes the horizontal organization.The horizontal organization does not divide the company into departments.Instead, it groups people and work across core processes.These core processes all work together to create and deliver something of value to the customers.
A Solid Effort!
The horizontal organization is a more appropriate model for the knowledge age, according to author Frank Ostroff, who says companies increasingly find this structure more effective. He emphasizes the need to start with an understanding of your organization's core competencies and to develop a horizontal structure from there. Ostroff claims this is the first model of this approach, but it is not. In fact, his fairly academic book advances a trend that is already well documented. Horizontal organizations have been covered in numerous other books, which, like this one, promote more decentralized, downsized, team-oriented organizations with empowered workers. Despite a leaden, pedantic writing style, Ostroff distinguishes his theoretical discussion with several detailed examples of how the horizontal organization works and how you can apply it to your company. We ... recommend this book primarily to academics, who may enjoy its theoretical nature.

Enlightened Speculation
The subtitle promises that Ostroff will explain "what the organization of the future actually looks like and how it delivers value to customers." It is more accurate to say that Ostroff suggests what that organization will probably look like...and how it will probably deliver value to customers. Specifically, what he calls the Horizontal Organization "organizes around core process groups. All the people who work on a core process are brought together into a group that can easily coordinate its efforts and maximize the value of of what it delivers to customers." It differs from other models in that it is more comprehensive by incorporating "elements of some of the existing concepts, such as process reengineering, individual empowerment, and teams. But it goes beyond them by providing an overall framework for the organization that integrates and makes use of the best of these ideas in a new structure that has been proved in practice." So, Ostroff's intention is to help his reader understand what the Horizontal Organization is, how it works, how it can be developed, and how to decide where it can be effectively employed in any organization.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Administration (Specific Aspects)    4. Business/Economics    5. Development - Business Development    6. Employee participation    7. Entrepreneurship    8. Leadership    9. Management    10. Management - General    11. Strategic Planning    12. Teams in the workplace    13. Business & Economics / Customer Service    14. Business strategy    15. Business | Management | Organizational Development    16. Organizational theory & behaviour