Synopses & Reviews
The recent economic crisis was not just caused by a failure of regulation or economic policy; it was a story of the failure of
management in a fundamental sense—a deeply flawed approach to management that encouraged bankers to pursue opportunities without regard for their long-term consequences, and to put their own interests ahead of those of their employers and their shareholders.
And looking more widely, there is a creeping disenchantment with management as a profession: surveys show that managers generate less respect than lawyers and bankers in the eyes of the general public, and there are few if any positive role models for management.
"Change isn't just for the rank-and-file anymore; it's coming for you. Instant access to information and global resources have changed the world we live and work in. Julian Birkinshaw shows that 19th century industrial management won't work in a 21st century fluid workplace. Read this, or prepare to be 'game-changed' by someone who has."
—Jack Hughes, CEO, TopCoder
"Technological and social changes are having an enormous impact on the world of business, and on the way companies are managed. In this book, Julian Birkinshaw provides a roadmap for making sense of how the world of management is changing, and he provides useful advice for companies who want to harness the potential that Web 2.0 has to offer."
—PV Kannan, CEO, 24/7 Customer
"Julian Birkinshaw helps us look beyond our legacy management practices, and imagine bold new ways of leading, managing and organizing. Filled with mind-expanding examples, Reinventing Management is a must read for managers who want to build an organization that's truly fit for the future."
—Gary Hamel, bestselling author of The Future of Management
Synopsis
There is no one best management model. Rather, the best model for any particular company depends on their competitive and circumstantial factors. Drawing on case examples from a range of global companies, Julian Birkinshaw develops a comprehensive framework for clarifying the choices that make up a firm's management model. Moreover, it shows mid-level as well as top-level executives how to take the initiative to effect change in their organization.
Synopsis
Reinventing Management: - argues that we need to recapture the essence of management: we need to start making smarter choices in how we get work done through other people. Management is a central driver of economic activity, and arguably even more important in today's economic climate than ever.
- develops the concept of a firm's Management Model: the deliberate choices made by top executives on four key dimensions: how they set objectives, motivate people, coordinate activities and make decisions. Too often companies subconsciously adopt the same Management Model as their competitors. But when developed carefully, a Management Model can become one of your key drivers of competitive advantage.
- helps you to make smarter choices in each of the four key dimensions of management. A traditional, hierarchical approach to decision making has its limitations, but so does tapping into the collective wisdom of your employees. The book explores the pros and cons of each set of choices, to help you develop a distinctive Management Model that can be become the basis for your firm's long-term success.
About the Author
Julian Birkinshaw is Professor of Strategic and International Management and Deputy Dean at the London Business School. He is also co-founder of the Management Lab (MLab), whose mission is to accelerate the evolution of management. Julian has published ten previous books on aspects of strategy and management, including Giant Steps in Management and Inventuring, and more than 70 articles in academic journals. He previously worked at the Stockholm School of Economics and the University of Toronto.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Acknowledgements.
About the Author.
Chapter 1 Why Management Failed.
Chapter 2 What's Your Management Model?
Chapter 3 Coordinating Activities: From Bureaucracy to Emergence.
Chapter 4 Making and Communicating Decisions: From Hierarchy to Collective Wisdom.
Chapter 5 Setting Objectives: From Alignment to Obliquity.
Chapter 6 Motivating Employees: From Extrinsic to Intrinsic Motivation.
Chapter 7 Four Models of Management.
Chapter 8 The Change Agent's Agenda.
Chapter 9 The Leader's Agenda.
Epilogue Broadening the Debate on Reinventing Management.
Notes.
Index.