Gurus On People Management

Overview

This one-stop guide to the world’s most important writers on managing people expertly summarises all the key strategic concepts from the work and contribution of each of the leading thinkers in the field of managing people.

Ultimately, managers have to manage people. It can be the most difficult and yet the most rewarding function if you get it right. To help you achieve success this book analyses the work of major gurus including:

• Elton Mayo

• Abraham Maslow

• Frederick Herzberg

• Peter Drucker

• John Adair

• Rosabeth Moss Kanter

• Peter Senge

• Charles Handy

More than just a summary of the key concepts, this book offers valuable insights into the application and value of each concept. The inclusion of national and international real-life case studies brings to life some of the key issues of managing people and how to deal with difficult situations.

For each of the gurus Sultan Kermally provides a profile and an incisive résumé of their thoughts and influence. He cleverly analyses the pros and cons, places them in context and skilfully links and contrasts the different theories to show how they have influenced each other. Each section ends with a summary of lessons learnt so you can put them into practice.

Content

ONE: The challenges of managing people

• People management issues in practice
• Continuous improvement
  

TWO: Fredrick Winslow Taylor

• Guru’s profile
  
• Guru’s contribution
• Drucker’s views on scientific management
• Taylor and managing people
• Lessons learnt from Frederick Winslow Taylor

THREE: Elton MayoGuru’s contribution

• Guru's profile
• Guru's contribution
• What conclusions can one draw from the Hawthorne Researches relating to managing people?
• Are the findings of the Hawthorne Experiments relevant today?
• Lessons learnt from Elton Mayo

FOUR: Abraham Maslow

• Guru's profile
• Guru's contribution
• Maslow's heirachy of needs in a nutshell
• Physiological needs
• Safety needs
• Belonging and love needs
• Esteem needs
• Self-actualisation needs
• Criticisms of Maslow's theory
• A word of caution
• Lessons learnt from Abraham Maslow
  

FIVE: Douglas McGregor

• Guru's profile
• Guru's contribution
• Theory X approach and its assumptions
• Theory Y approach and its assumptions
• Criticisms of Theory X and Theory Y
• Last thoughts on Theory y and Pygmalion Effect
• Lessons learnt from Douglas McGregor
  

SIX: Frederick Herzberg

• Guru's profile
• Guru's contribution
• What are hygiene factors?
• What are motivators?
• Application fo Herzberg's theory
• Criticisms of Herzberg's theory
• Lessons learnt from Frederick Herzberg
  

SEVEN: Victor Vroom

• Guru's profile
• Guru's contribution
• Vroom's expectancy theory
• Expectancy
• Instrumentality
• Valence
• Criticisms of Vroom's theory
• Expectancy theory and managing people today
• Lessons learnt from Victor Vroom

EIGHT: Chris Argyris

• Guru's profile
• Guru's contribution
• Defensive routines
• Criticisms of Argyris's theory
• Lessons learnt from Chris Argyris

NINE: John Adair

• Guru’s profile
  
• Guru’s contribution
  
• Developing leadership skills
  
• The Adair Leadership Foundation
  
• Lessons learnt from John Adair

TEN: Warren Bennis

• Guru’s profile
  
• Guru’s contribution
• Geeks and geezers
• Lessons learnt from Warren Bennis

ELEVEN: Rosabeth Moss Kanter

• Guru’s profile
  
• Guru’s contribution
  
• Empowerment
  
• Motivating your staff
  
• Leadership
  
• Lessons learnt from Rosabeth Moss Kanter
  

TWELVE: Peter Senge

• Guru’s profile
  
• Guru’s contribution
  
• The learning organisation
  
• Criticisms of Peter Senge’s theory
  
• Lessons learnt from Peter Senge
  

THIRTEEN: Geert Hofstede

• Guru’s profile
• Guru’s contribution
• Individualism and collectivism
  
• Masculinity and femininity
  
• Uncertainty avoidance
  
• Criticisms of Hofstede’s theory
  
• Lessons learnt from Geert Hofstede
  

FOURTEEN: Ikujiro Nonaka

• Guru’s profile
  
• Guru’s contribution
  
• Differences between data, information and knowledge
  
• Making a start – some examples/initiatives
  
• Knowledge is also power – why should employees share this power?
  
• What is an incentive for your organisation to manage knowledge?
  
• Final thought
• Professor Nonaka and managing knowledge
  
• Criticisms of the SECI model
  
• Lessons learnt from Ikujiro Nonaka
  

FIFTEEN: Charles Handy 

• Guru’s profile
  
• Guru’s contribution
  
• Leadership
  
• Organisational culture
  
• ‘Our employees are our greatest asset’
  
• Inside organisations
  
• Implications for managing people
  
• Lessons learnt from Charles Handy
  

SIXTEEN: Peter Drucker

• Guru’s profile
• Guru’s contribution
• Druker on managing people – final words
• Lessons learnt from Peter Drucker
  

SEVENTEEN: Managing people issues in practice

• The Investors in People Standard
• Case studies
  

EIGHTEEN: Great companies to work for: the people

• So what are the key attributes of the 'winning' companies/organisations?
• Managing people issues at Prêt A Manger
  

NINETEEN: A to Z of managing people

Author

Sultan Kermally

Sultan Kermally is an experienced management development consultant and trainer. He has held senior management positions with Management Centre Europe in Brussels, London Business School and The Economist Intelligence Unit. He tutors MBA models on Strategy, Managing Knowledge, Strategic Marketing and International Business for both the Durham and Open University Business Schools. He is the author of eight books, including The Management Toolkit, Gurus on Marketing and Developing and Managing Talent (all published by Thorogood).