Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice

Based on his early classic text, Organization, John Child's new book provides a state-of-the-art guide to organizational management in today's world. As in his earlier text, this authoritative sequel: Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice addresses organizational issues in terms of how managers experience them and sets out the key principles and practice for managing a competitive organization John Child draws attention to the exciting possibilities currently arising in organizations, as the conditions for their survival change. His analysis covers a broad range of topics, from outsourcing, flexibility and strategic alliances, to trust, learning, and knowledge management. Written in an approachable style, and featuring new international examples, this is a major contemporary guide to the organizational component in business success. Although it focuses on business organizations, much of its content is also highly relevant to public and not-for-profit institutions in the context of global competition, new information technologies, emerging markets, and new flexible working practices. Each chapter contains summaries of key points, lists of practical guidelines, questions for discussion, and suggestions for further reading.

Table of Contents:
Preface.Acknowledgments.PART I: The Broad Picture.Chapter 1 Introduction to Organization.Chapter 2 New Conditions, New Organization.PART II: New Internal Forms.Chapter 3 Simpler Structures.Chapter 4 Achieving Integration.Chapter 5 Control.Chapter 6 Reward Policies.Chapter 7 Payment Systems.PART III: New Network Forms.Chapter 8 Outsourcing.Chapter 9 Virtual Organization.Chapter 10 Alliances.Chapter 11 Organizing Across Borders.PART IV: Evolving Effective Organizations.Chapter 12 Achieving Organizational Change and Evolution.Chapter 13 Organizing for Learning.Chapter 14 Generating and Utilizing Trust.Chapter 15 Corporate Governance in New Organizational Forms.Conclusion.Chapter 16 Making Sense of Organization.Index.

About the Author :
John Child is Chair of Commerce at the University of Birmingham, UK, Distinguished Visiting Professor and Founding Director of the Chinese Management Centre at the University of Hong Kong, and Founding Director of the Centre for International Business and Management at the University of Cambridge. The author or co-author of 17 books and over 100 articles, he also consults for major corporations in the areas of strategic alliances, organizational design, organizational learning, and business operations in China.

Review :
"John Child has done it again. This accessible and scholarly book brings the analysis of organizational forms where it belongs at the very centre of the fields of organization and strategy." Andrew Pettigrew, School of Management, University of Bath "Professor John Child describes and analyzes clearly some of the important emerging forms of organization and management. The book offers valuable lessons and will appeal to MBA and students in general as well as executives of large and small organizations." Marc Verstringhe, Chair, The Harry Hansen Research Fellowship Trust "This is an outstanding contribution to literature from a world class academic, Professor John Child. His contribution to the field of organizational study is without parallel and this work is a monumental contribution to the global literature on organizational behavior." Cary L. Cooper CBE, Lancaster University "This is more than a reiteration of Child's best-selling textbook. The new work represents a powerful re-statement of the 'design' approach to management in the context of today's fluid and indeterminate circumstances." Ray Loveridge, Said Business School, University of Oxford "A key text which draws together many of John Child's landmark contributions to the field of Organization Studies. The additional new material in this book reflects an impressive level of scholarly breadth and depth, revealing John Child as a master of understanding complex organizations and processes of organizing." David C. Wilson, University of Warwick "A lucid and comprehensive review of the theory and practice of organization written by one of the world's leading scholars in this field. John Child successfully combines a deep knowledge of organizational theory with acute appreciation of its relevance to modern organizations facing the challenges of the twenty-first century. It will be invaluable both as a text book for students and as a guide for those responsible for running organizations." Mark Easterby-Smith, Chair British Academy of Management and Lancaster University "This book provides a timely and important synthesis of new forms of organizing activities within and between organizations. Written by one of the foremost scholars, John Child captures the leading edge of scientific and practical knowledge about organizations and organizing. Moreover, Child provides wisdom in treating not only technical aspects of contemporary organizations, but also the ethical, social, and economic considerations in deciding on particular ways of organizing activities." Andrew H. Van de Ven, University of Minnesota "Conventional, sluggish bureaucracies are being introduced to a new structural vocabulary--delayered authority structures, lateral integration, networks and alliances, boundary-crossing--as they attempt to respond to the challenge of globalization. Drawing on his wealth of scholarly research and consulting experience, John Child provides a lucid and engaging guide to this changing world of organizations." W. Richard Scott, Stanford University "John Child's new book, Organization: Contemporary principles and practices, builds upon Child's many years of experience as a scholar and teacher. Based on the assumption that organizations in the twenty-first century will confront very different conditions than those in previous eras, Child writes about the conditions facilitating the development of new organizational forms. Given his years of experience in China and in other international activities, Child has given the book a very intercontinental flavor. Examples come not only from the UK but also from other European nations, Asian nations, and North America. Its comprehensive review of effective management practices is accompanied by boxed cases that show the practices in action. The book will prove useful to graduate students in business schools, as well as managers in applied settings looking for a new perspective on the problems they face." Howard Aldrich, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill