In this volume, first published in 1974, the author provides an introduction to the historical development of management in business. Success and failure in a commercial world can be explained partly in terms of economic forces, but much also depends on the people, on the management of the firms – on the bosses. The author approaches this topic by examining some of the major companies and individuals over the past two hundred years, and examines how apparently secure and profitable companies at times run into great difficulties and shows that, by examining the reasons for success and failure, pitfalls may be avoided and efficiency improved. This book will be of special value to business and commercial students, as well as to the general reader who is interested in the problems of modern industry.
In this volume, first published in 1974, the author provides an introduction to the historical development of management in business. Success and failure in a commercial world can be explained partly in terms of economic forces, but much also depends on the people, on the management of the firms – on the bosses. The author approaches this topic by examining some of the major companies and individuals over the past two hundred years, and examines how apparently secure and profitable companies at times run into great difficulties and shows that, by examining the reasons for success and failure, pitfalls may be avoided and efficiency improved. This book will be of special value to business and commercial students, as well as to the general reader who is interested in the problems of modern industry.
First published in 1981, The British Business Elite is a study of the attitudes to class, status and power of top businessmen in Great Britain, based upon first-hand interviews with chairmen, chief executives and other directors of Britain’s largest industrial, banking and insurance companies: men of genuine wealth and power. Dr Fidler produces important empirical data in a field of study which has been plagued with problems of access; a field in which much of the theory has been based on assumptions. The book includes a careful examination of the background and career of those interviewed; a discussion of the way in which businessmen see the objectives of their companies, particularly relevant to the long-standing debate over the ownership and control of corporations; their views of class and status and of the power of businessmen in Britain. Finally, Dr Fidler considers the implications of the research for future theory and investigation.
Over the last few decades, power, information and resources have moved from being concentrated in the hands of a few, to being disbursed across many. We need look no further than events on the world stage to see the heat signature of this – from the arrival of Wikileaks, the Arab Spring of 2011 and the Occupy movements, to the social media revolution and flashpoints such as the British Members of Parliament expenses scandal. All are examples of deep change occurring. This book is about what this means for the workplace and for management. The proposition offered here is that our organisations need to catch up, and that the “death of deference” that we are seeing elsewhere in society needs to be accelerated in the workplace. Systems of deference slow down organisational performance. Deference prevents organisations from learning. It stops them from being agile, innovative and ethical. Deference is the enemy of organisational success and it needs to be dismantled so that in its place we can build modern organisations with a new breed of managers and leaders. This book offers a solution to a problem that belongs in the last century, and a game plan for nothing short of a workplace revolution. "If deference is dead, this book is about the resurrection of the effective manager in a world where nothing is quite the way it used to be. Powerful and thought-provoking from start to finish." - Jeremy Vine, BBC Presenter and Author “Never Mind the Bosses is a refreshing type of management book, it advocates that deference to authority figures needs to go if we are to have engaged workforces.” - Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University Management School "An engaging and entertaining romp through the post punk world. By going beyond the boundaries of most business books, Ryde gives us all food for thought about how organisations are, or are not, dealing with a rapidly changing society and workforce." - Jo Owen, bestselling author of ‘How to Manage’ and 'How to Lead' “If you are looking for a book that will shake up your thinking about how to improve your organization’s performance – or worried that your competitors will find it first! – try this one.” - Professor Dutch Leonard, Harvard Business School & Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government
"British business - for all its pretensions to play on the world stage - seems content to bumble along. The lack of urgency, the sloppiness about time-keeping and disregard for service in general pervade all sectors of British industry. Retailers complain about sluggish sales but seem unconcerned about their inability to supply what people want; exporters claim that they have brilliant products but cannot attract buyers because the strong pound makes them unattractive; and manufacturers seem intent on making what they want rather than what the market demands. It is not just this writer who is angry, frustrated and puzzled."
An employee's-eye view of what makes a great boss—and how you can become one Whereas most books on managing people approach the subject from the perspective of a manager of an idealised organisation, Becoming a Better Boss takes a real-world approach, looking at the topic from the perspective of an employee in a real-world organisation—dysfunctions, warts, and all. Focusing on the choices individual employees make every day in getting work done, this book reinvents the practice of management one employee at a time. Author Julian Birkinshaw stresses the importance of taking management seriously, reveals where management practice often goes wrong, and dives deeply into the worldview of employees. He then explores the common personal biases and frailties of managers and discusses the vital importance of experimentation to overcome the limitations and idiosyncrasies of a particular organisation. Throughout, he supports his assertions with case studies from a wide and varying range of management experiments and situations at real companies. Written by a leading authority on strategy, management, and innovation who is also the author of eleven books, including Reinventing Management Introduces a new approach to management focused on real employees and actual situations Includes case studies from real organisations Between the stress of deadlines and the demands of today's business environment, it's easy for managers to lose sight of the importance of people management. Becoming a Better Boss not only shows managers how to lead effectively, but why doing so is vitally important to every organisation's success.
First published in 1981, The British Business Elite is a study of the attitudes to class, status and power of top businessmen in Great Britain, based upon first-hand interviews with chairmen, chief executives and other directors of Britain's largest industrial, banking and insurance companies: men of genuine wealth and power. Dr Fidler produces important empirical data in a field of study which has been plagued with problems of access; a field in which much of the theory has been based on assumptions. The book includes a careful examination of the background and career of those interviewed; a discussion of the way in which businessmen see the objectives of their companies, particularly relevant to the long-standing debate over the ownership and control of corporations; their views of class and status and of the power of businessmen in Britain. Finally, Dr Fidler considers the implications of the research for future theory and investigation.
In a business world that spans several continents, it is no longer common for everyone to speak English as a first language. Whether you speak English as a first, second or even third language, intercultural business communication means that getting it right first time has never been more important for you and your organization. English can never be standardized in the global and digital marketplace; instead, we can learn how to customize business English according to our own values and culture and communicate successfully across borders. Improve Your Global Business English creates an awareness in the reader of what to avoid and how to ensure that communications are correctly understood. Very readable and hugely instructive, Improve Your Global Business English provides practical self-study with quizzes, activities and worksheets, helping you to fine-tune your written communication. By mastering the basics, defining your readers and tailoring your message to them, understanding the conventions of different media and understanding cultures, you can enhance your reputation as a truly global, modern player in today's marketplace. If you want your messages to be perceived as you intended, to retain customers or to win new ones, Improve Your Global Business English gives you the background you need. Online supporting resources for this book include supplementary video, self-test questions and answers, templates and a case study on going global
