Organizing and Organizations: An Introduction - Softcover

Sims, David B P; Fineman, Stephen; Gabriel, Yiannis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 080398703X ISBN 13: 9780803987036

Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd, 1993

Synopsis

This major textbook in organizational behaviour does what most other textbooks in the field do not: it captures and conveys the `lived experience' of being and working in organizations while also introducing students to key concepts, research and literature in organizational analysis.

The book is in two main parts. The first explores the processes of organizing through a series of chapters each based on a different facet of organizational life. Theoretical concepts and practical implications are woven into an engrossing and accessible narrative which draws on a large number of first-hand accounts by members of organizations.

The second part of the book, comprising a substantial thesaurus/dictionary, defines and discusses in more detail over 150 of the terms and concepts introduced in the first part. A table connecting the chapters with established categories and concepts in organizational behaviour is also included.

About this title

Review

`This is a surprisingly enjoyable read - a far cry from the traditional textbooks for students of organizational theory and behaviour.... This book is a highly readable introduction to organizational behaviour and organization theory, made so by the many interesting firsthand experiences interwoven throughout the text' - Empowerment in Organization

`There is much of interest and topicality.... Within the constraints of an introductory text, it is quite adventurous... the book is to be recommended for first year classes. It complements more sociological approaches to undergraduate organisational behaviour and its price and high `production values' make it attractive... the text is an interesting, unusual one that is certainly worthy of detailed consideration' - Work, Employment and Society

`it is comprehensive, interesting and intelligently constructed. The accessibility of the text is excellent and I am in general sympathetic to the general approach at a number of levels: of eschewing unnecessary jargon; of stressing taken-for-granted aspects of organisational life; and of making use of stories and anecdotes in the learning process.' - Professor Barry Turner, Director of Research, Middlesex University

`What a pleasant task! Usually when I read a text manuscript it feels like duty or a chore and is often painful to complete. Reading this manuscript was quite the opposite experience - I quickly became intrigued and then found it easy to read in lengthy sessions.' - Craig C Lundberg, Blanchard Professor of Human Resources Management, Cornell University, New York

`It has truly been a pleasure as the book delivers what it promises: a bridge between a lived experience of organizing and the textbooks on organizational theory.... It was high time that somebody wrote this book.... I will no doubt recommend this book to my colleagues teaching introductory courses.... the book has an obvious practical value in the times of EEC.... An aspect of the manuscript which is worth mentioning because of its actuality, its courage and its importance is the emphasis put on the `forgotten issues' - gender and sexuality. What is more, the book weaves those issues into the general fabric of organizing rather than hold them apart as a special topic.... I am very taken with the book.... it was a pleasure to read it and to review it.' - Professor Barbara Czarniawska-Joerges, Lund University

`If one is looking for a novel approach and a very readable style, this book is rather ahead of the field. The introduction and conclusion are regarded as the centre and the rest as the spokes of a wheel. The reader may turn it as they wish to move from one topic to another. There is a rather good cross-referencing to guide the novice hither and thither. The thesaurus/dictionary is very well set out with important concepts in bold. The publishers, Sage, have done a fine job here and the upshot is commendable. It goes without saying that all the political correct flourishes are present, for example, race, gender and so on. The entries are closely integrated with the text by way of cross-references and further reading is neatly flagged.' - Journal of General Management

`Excellent thesaurus entries.... The book will undoubtedly appeal to students who know little or nothing of life in organizations and who have no need to get to grips with the differences between the theoretical perspectives.' - Management Learning

`I expected that this book might be along the lines of most introductory texts in the area. It turned out to be very different from my expectations, and far more relevant - it provides a better description of real organizations, particularly as places of work. Instead of following standard textbook topics, it describes what it is like to live and work in an organization.... There is also a chapter on the relationship between work and home life, a topic... not seen addressed in other similar texts. The subject matter of the book is scientifically based but it does not usually make direct reference to the literature in the main text, nor give references there. This makes it very readable, and of potential relevance to a wider audience beyond the expected undergraduate/postgraduate introductory course. Links with the scientific literature, and supporting references, can readily be made by means of keywords... which link to a thesaurus in the back of the book. Here, the scientific literature in explained quite fully and helpfully.... This book provides a very readable and insightful description of what it is like to be part of a work organization. For example, it is interesting to note, from the chapter on `careering', that those who get to the top generally begin their rise early in their careers, getting on the fast track when young. Then again, `Nigel's dilemma' is a useful illustration of the assumptions implicit in our perceptions of `gender role'.... I hope that these excerpts will whet your appetite to read the book' - Journal of the Operational Research Society

About the Author

Stephen Fineman is Professor of Organizational Behaviour, School of Management, University of Bath

CONTRIBUTORS' AFFILIATIONS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA:

Gillian Bendelow University of Warwick

Karen P Harlos University of Otago, Dunedin

Avraham N Kluger The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Berry Mayall University of London

Anat Rafaeli Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management, Technion, Haifa

Varda Wasserman The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Edition details

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 080398703X
• ISBN 13: 9780803987036
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336