Understanding Organizations

Front Cover
Penguin UK, Jun 28, 2007 - Business & Economics - 448 pages

Organizations are a part of everyday life, whether in schools, hospitals, police stations or commercial companies. In this classics text, Charles Handy argues that the key to successful organizations lies in a better understanding of the needs and motivations of the people within them.

Understanding Organizations offers an extended 'dictionary' of the key concepts -- culture, motivations, leadership, role-playing, co-ordinating and consultation -- and then shows how this 'language' can help us find new solutions to familiar problems. Few management writers have been as consistently challenging and influential as Charles Handy. Firmly established as one of the core business texts, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in organizations and how to make them work better.

 

Contents

Foreword
New Introduction to the Fourth Edition
Part One The Concepts 1 About This Book
On the Motivation to Work
On Roles and Interactions
On Leadership
On Power and Influence
On the Workings of Groups
Part Three A Guide to Further Study Introduction to Part Three
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7

On the Cultures of Organizations
Part Two The Concepts in Application Introduction to Part
On the People of Organizations and their Development
On the Work of the Organization and its Design
On Politics and Change
On Being a Manager
On the Future of Organizations
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Acknowledgements Follow Penguin
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About the author (2007)

Charles Handy is now a writer and broadcaster, following careers as an economist, Professor at the London Business School and a consultant to a wide variety of organizations. He is widely regarded as the top 'businessguru' in the UK. UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATIONS was originally published in 1976. He lives in Norfolk and London (Putney).

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