Organising and Managing Work takes as its starting point the everyday practices of people at all levels in organisations as they manage their work. It encourages the reader to use and judge organisation and management theories by their relevance to ‘real life’ practices and dilemmas, ranging the day-to-day to major strategic change.
The book also offers insights into aspects of organisational life that are often marginalised, such as the politics and ethics of managerial action; the ambiguous, uncertain and contested nature of organisational processes; and the significance of angst, emotion, humour and mischief in the everyday life of organisations.
In unfolding its distinctive approach to the study of organisations and the management of work, the book adopts a critical social science perspective in order to challenge ways of thinking about management that are often taken for granted both by academics and practitioners.
As part of this overall approach, the book:
· Examines organisational events and issues through case studies taken from first-hand research and direct involvement in work organisations
· Explores observations and experiences from a wide range of organisational and national settings
· Encourages the reader to reflect on their own experiences and interests in both academic debate and organisational practice
· Provides a bridge from mainstream organisation studies to organisational strategy and human resource management
· Includes annotated suggestions for further reading and detailed references
Organising and Managing Work is written for students on business and management studies programmes. It is particularly suited to modules on organisational behaviour and could also be used on modules on management, strategy or human resource management.
Tony Watson is Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Nottingham University Business School.
Tony Watson’s thinking is state-of-the-art. He is a brilliant teacher, and this book will entice its readers into learning. The book is clear, interesting, highly original, well grounded in organisational life, and full of good stories. No one gives you more new thoughts per page.
David Sims, Cass Business School, City of London
Yet again Tony Watson has written a ‘must buy’ book. Beautifully written and highly integrated, the text is vividly brought to life with pointed ‘cases and conversations’ that clearly illustrate the old dictum that there is nothing so practical as good theory.
Karen Legge, Warwick Business School
This is quite simply the most exhilarating, instructive and witty aid to the study of management and organisations that I have come across for a long time. It will change irrevocably for the better teaching and learning in these areas. Buy it and enjoy it!
Yiannis Gabriel, Imperial College Management School
This is the only current textbook on work and organization which acknowledges the wide range of contemporary critical approaches within management studies. Whilst other texts attempt specific and distinct forms of 'critical' approach, this textbook remains justifiably generous and unpartisan in its style of critique.
Richard Hull, University of Newcastle