Managing Today and Tomorrow

How the Entrepreneurial Spirit is Transforming the Public Sector (Reading, Mass., Addison-Wesley, 1992). 'The basics of management remain the same'; 'Managing is very different in different jobs, organizations and countries'; 'Management is changing radically'. All three of these statements are true, but most books on management focus on only the first or third statement. This book is unusual in that it takes account of all three; it does so because effective managers increasingly have to understand not only the basics of management, but also how management is changing. Managers are much more mobile than they used to be, so they also have a greater need than in the past to understand where, how and why management differs. Managing Today and Tomorrow is based on three main sources. First, what social research has discovered about management in practice that is relevant to managers; the approach adopted -but not the language -is that of a social scientist. Second, accounts of the changes that companies are making. Third, the experience of managers, from a wide variety of public and private organizations, whom the author has interviewed for many different research projects. Their views are used to provide some of the practical examples in the text. Managing Today and Tomorrow is addressed to managers, but it is not a 'how-to-do-it' book. It aims to help managers to improve their effectiveness by developing their understanding of management. It is not an academic text, but it can be used by students to help them to acquire an understanding of the three key aspects of management: the basics, the differences found in different management settings, and the changes affecting management. Those new to management should find Part I of the book helpful, since it is about the basics of management: 'should' rather than 'will' because managers differ in what they find useful, and some find it hard to learn anything from books. Experienced managers may find that Part I helps them to interpret their previous experience. Parts II and III are potentially relevant to all managers, though a manager's particular setting will determine which are most relevant now. Part II is about the differences within management. Part III is about the changes affecting jnanagers' jobs and careers. There is a separate introduction to ^"~~-x i ## Complexity -A-Jcey characteristic of organizations is their complexity. There are large companies consisting of very different activities located The basics of management remain the same. Managing is very different in different jobs, organizations and countries. Management is changing radically. All three statements are true. Most books on management focus on the first or the third statement. This book is unusual in that it takes account of all three. It does so because effective managers increasingly have to understand not only the basics of management, but also how it is changing and how that affects their work and careers. Managers are much more mobile than they used to be, so they also have a greater need than in the past to understand where, how and why management differs. Front Matter....Pages i-xii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Managing and Managing the Job....Pages 3-21 Working in an Organization....Pages 22-43 Managing Other People....Pages 44-62 Front Matter....Pages 63-63 Differences in Managerial Jobs....Pages 65-79 Differences in Stakeholders....Pages 80-99 National Differences....Pages 100-121 Front Matter....Pages 123-123 Managerial Implications of the EC....Pages 125-146 Managerial Implications of IT....Pages 147-165 Changing Organizations....Pages 166-190 Personal Implications of Changes....Pages 191-206 Back Matter....Pages 207-213 Takes into account that - the basics of management remain the same; managing is very different in different jobs, organizations and countries; and management is changing radically. Effective managers have to understand all three aspects of management.