Working in Organisations / Edition 1

by Andrew Kakabadse, John Bank

Overview

First published in 2004, this volume recognises that, as society changes, so must its organisations; as organisations change, so must their management competencies. The requirement for organisations to be flexible, innovative and adaptable in environments of increasing complexity and uncertainty is also a requirement of any organisation’s most essential resource: its people. They not only work for the organisation – they are the organisation.

The second edition of this highly successful book provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking examination of the operational and strategic skills, demands and responsibilities of the modern workforce, and in particular its management. Reflected here are the manager’s new and changing priorities. Attention is given to the manager’s role, the motivation to work and succeed, and teamworking. Also emphasised is the new psychological contract, highlighting reliance on self whilst maintaining sensitivity to diversity concerns.

Providing clear and decisive leadership requires the projection of a vision that captures the imagination of others, but inevitably managers face conflict and adversity. Working in Organisations therefore discusses how power and politics can be moulded to positive advantage. The challenges facing organisations go beyond cost and profitability, as political and environmental challenges have forcefully entered into managerial responsibility. The book asks 'What is the ultimate purpose and contribution of organisations?' and highlights profound governance and ethics concerns. The design of organisations is also explored, and how creating appropriate structures will in turn focus resources to achieve desired ends.

This book provides a broad coverage of key issues, ranging from a close examination of the manager's job to a discussion of the corporate and social forces that determine our lives. Written in an easy-to-read style and bursting with case examples, Working in Organisations acts as mentor and guide to those whose quest is for ever greater sustainable accomplishment.

Written by a distinguished team of authors, this book will continue to be welcomed as the definitive text on organisational culture and change for academics, researchers and managers around the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138370432
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/26/2020
Series:	Routledge Revivals
Pages:	270
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Andrew Kakabadse is Professor of International Management Development and Deputy Director of the Cranfield School of Management. John Bank is a lecturer at Cranfield, teaching on a variety of executive development programmes. Susan Vinnicombe is Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Diversity Management at Cranfield.

Table of Contents

List of figures xi

List of tables xii

Authors' preface to the Second Edition xiii

Acknowledgements xvi

Part 1 People, Jobs and Relationships 1

1 Challenges 3

Critical challenges facing managers 3

Business ethics 3

Globalisation 7

Downsizing 11

Employee diversity 13

New technology 14

Summary 20

Developing business ethics 20

Managing globalisation 20

Dealing with downsizing 21

Valuing employee diversity 22

Exploiting new technology 22

2 The Manager's Job 24

Characteristics of managerial work 25

The person in the job 26

The frame of the job 26

Managing on three levels 28

The empowering manager 29

Managerial competencies and skills 30

Managers and stress 31

Educating managers 32

Summary 33

Characteristics of managerial work 33

The person in the job 33

The frame of the job 33

Managing on three levels 34

Empowerment 34

Managerial competencies and skills 34

Managers and stress 34

Educating managers 34

3 The Manager's Career 35

Attraction and selection 36

Problems in the management of entry 37

Induction and socialisation 37

Person-organisation fit 38

Socialisation 38

Problems with induction 39

Mechanisms for effective induction 39

Stages of transition 41

Career development 43

Career anchors 43

The new psychological contract 45

Comparing old and new contracts 47

Implications for human relations 48

Protean careers 49

Work/life balance 50

The business case for employers 51

Summary 53

Attraction and selection 53

Induction and socialisation 53

Career development 53

Work/life balance 54

4 Motivation 55

What determines an individual's motivation? 56

Need theories 57

Incentive theories 61

Expectancy theories 64

What determines motivation on the job? 66

Work design 67

Action levers 69

Commitment 70

Summary 71

Need theories 71

Incentive theories 72

Expectancy theories 72

Motivation on the job 72

Work design 72

Action levers 72

Commitment 72

5 Teamworking 74

Impact of teamwork 74

What is a team (or group) at work? 76

Do people need to be taught how to work in teams? 77

Early research into group behaviour 81

Team development 82

Team roles 82

The expert role 83

Hot groups 83

Team competencies 88

Group think 90

Another space shuttle - Columbia - lost for similar reasons 92

Summary 92

Essence of a team 93

Research into teamworking 93

Early research 93

Team development 93

Hot groups 93

Team competencies 94

Group think 94

6 Diversity and Individual Differences 95

The meaning of diversity 95

Why diversity matters at work 96

What are the management implications? 98

The Cranfield diversity management performance project 101

Work/life balance 102

Age 102

Religion 102

Disability Act 102

Human resources management - recruitment and succession planning 103

Cultural change programme or training 104

Support groups 104

Study outcomes - suggestions for diversity management 104

Individual differences 107

Individual characteristics 107

Functions 108

Modifying factors 109

Perception 111

Understanding other people 111

Attributes 114

Improving understanding and interaction 116

Summary 119

Diversity 119

Individual differences 120

Perception 121

Attributes 121

Improving understanding and interaction 121

7 Leadership 122

Transactional leadership 123

Trait studies 124

The behavioural approach 125

Contingency studies 127

Managerial decision making 129

Situational leadership 131

Hot managers 133

Transformational leadership 133

Charisma 135

Narcissism 139

Sex and leadership style 141

Discretionary leadership 142

Summary 144

Transactional leadership 144

Transformational leadership 145

Discretionary leadership 146

Part 2 Working the Organisation 147

8 Communication and Conflict 149

The nature of communication 149

Interpersonal communication 150

Information passing 150

Relationship building 151

Listening and active listening 151

Reading body language 152

Organisational communication 153

Team briefing 155

Emergence of e-mail 157

Code of practice for e-mailing 157

Principled bargaining 158

Dealing with conflict 159

Creative conflict: how management teams can have a good fight 160

Summary 162

Interpersonal communication 163

Active listening 163

Organisational communication 163

Principled bargaining 163

Dealing with conflict 164

Creative conflict 164

9 Politics in Organisations 165

Nature of politics in organisations 165

Differences in organisations 166

Global versus local 167

Boss versus subordinate 168

Professional versus manager 170

Centre versus subsidiary 171

Colleague versus colleague 172

Shared and unshared meaning 173

Politics in practice 174

When all else fails 180

Summary 180

The nature of politics in organisations 180

Differences in organisations 180

Shared and unshared meaning 181

Politics in practice 181

10 Power 182

Power definition 182

Seven power levers 182

Reward power 183

Role power 183

Personal power 184

Knowledge power 184

Network power 186

Information power 186

Corporate memory power 187

Power levers in context 188

Creative context 189

Leverage context 191

Scope context 192

Cost discipline context 194

Levels of power sophistication 196

Level 1 196

Level 2 196

Level 3 197

Power structure change 197

Behaviour change 198

Attitude change 199

Internalisation 200

Normative mass 200

Summary 201

Power definition 201

The power levers 201

Power levers in context 202

Levels of power sophistication 202

Power structure change 202

11 Organisational Design 203

Influences on design 203

Determinants 204

Configuration 210

Resource-flexible perspective 218

Impact of redesign 222

Accountability 222

Customer satisfaction 223

Morale and the social contract 223

Summary 225

Influences on design 225

Determinants 225

Configuration 226

Resource-flexible perspective 226

Impact of redesign 226

12 Governance 227

Emergence of governance 228

Definition of governance 230

History of governance 230

Two governance models 231

Shareholder model 231

Stakeholder model 234

Contrasts of meaning 236

Boundary spanners 238

Summary 239

Emergence of governance 239

Two governance models 240

Contrasts of meaning 240

Boundary spanners 240

Bibliography 241

Index 247

Editorial Reviews

'Working in Organisations is an outstanding book, which explores the challenges and opportunties for people working in both public and private sector organisations. It is in a class by itself, highlighting what managers need to know about selection, motivation, organisational politics, power, communication and many more invaluable topics. It is extremely well written, entertaining and with case studies which make it come alive - this book is not to be missed - read it, you will learn from it and enjoy it enormously.' Professor Cary L. Cooper, CBE, Lancaster University, UK Kudos to Kakabadse, Bank, and Vinnicombe for making the second edition of Working in Organisations a stupendous resource for today's manager! Pivotal questions arising as a result of dramatic changes in the business environment during the past two decades have been captured and answered. Equally valuable for professionals engaged inorganisational research and academic endeavers, the text is thorough yet succinct. Working in Organisations provides a solid knowledge base punctuated by practical examples and reality checks. Concise and relevent. If one book could be selected as a reference for managers working in today's organisations, this is the one! Bookshelf July 2005 'All organisations - whether private, public or not-for profit - exist to serve society not the other way round. Today there is a pressing need to understand how they can do that more effectively. Too often in the past people have been prisoners of the organisation. In the future, they will increasingly expect to be liberated by it. 'The days when organisation man or woman unquestioningly surrendered their individuality to the organisation are over. Future generations will expect the organisation to support them in achieving their individual aspirations. Andrew Kakabadse, Sue Vinnicombe and John Bank are among the most thoughtful commentators on organisations anywhere. The second edition of this book is an important guide to many of the issues that face us now and in the future. Read it - for the sake of your organisation and the generations that follow.' Des Dearlove, business journalist and commentator 'Rather than being overloaded with case study relevance, this extremely well-written text offers crisp and cutting "reality checks" - vignettes that render the text not only contemporary but with a critical eye for the longer term within management development programmes. The authors, from one of the leading management schools in Europe, bring decades of research, teaching and consulting together and place, in proper perspective, the limitations as well as the opportunities afforded to people "working in organisations." A must read for the uninitiated and the reader jaded by airport-dispensed rendering of rather sophisticated organisational issues.' Professor Alexander Kouzmin, Southern Cross University, Australia

From the Publisher