Over the past decade delayering and horizontal management structures have been adopted in both business and education. Their impact, however, on senior and junior staff is less…
Abstract
Over the past decade delayering and horizontal management structures have been adopted in both business and education. Their impact, however, on senior and junior staff is less well understood. Flatter organisations offer a new set of management actions; more teamwork, less bureaucracy, better communications, opportunities for professional development and greater job satisfaction. The effectiveness of this change critically depends on the attitudes and perceptions of the people working in flatter organisations. Do they recognise this cultural as well as organisational change? Do employees feel more empowered? This explanatory survey of perceptions of staff working in flatter organisations focuses on: climate, job meaningfulness, communications, work intensity and personal motivation. The findings are that old attitudes persist and an investment in changing the culture is required in order to maximise employee empowerment in new structures.
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MIKE BRESNEN and NICK MARSHALL
Recent interest in the UK construction sector in innovative management practices such as partnering, continuous improvement and benchmarking have raised long‐standing questions…
Abstract
Recent interest in the UK construction sector in innovative management practices such as partnering, continuous improvement and benchmarking have raised long‐standing questions about the transferability of new management ideas from other industrial sectors into construction. Informed in part by the author's own research into partnering in the UK, this paper sets out to explore the problems of transferring and applying new management ideas to the construction industry. However, rather than simply restricting the discussion to the perennial (and perhaps unanswerable) question of whether or not the construction industry actually is different, this paper goes much further by examining the nature of knowledge diffusion and application processes. Three main themes are highlighted and their implications assessed. First, the many inherent problems and limitations associated with relying on models of ‘best practice’ drawn from other industrial sectors. Second, the highly socialized and politicized nature of supposedly rational processes of knowledge diffusion and implementation. Third, the impact that institutional factors have on the diffusion and application of knowledge via the creation of particular industry agendas and frames of reference.
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“Which advertisement fits reality?” asked Pamela Butler, researcher into gender communication. The top ad represents selected adjectives used to describe feminine characteristics…
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“Which advertisement fits reality?” asked Pamela Butler, researcher into gender communication. The top ad represents selected adjectives used to describe feminine characteristics in the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), a psychometric testing instrument, while the bottom ad represents so‐called masculine personality characteristics. The ads were adapted from Butler's advertisements for “Insurance Executives” in Self‐Assertion for Women.
Wanted: Manager Affectionate, childlike person who does not use harsh language, to head our administrative division. We want someone who is cheerful and eager to sooth hurt…
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Wanted: Manager Affectionate, childlike person who does not use harsh language, to head our administrative division. We want someone who is cheerful and eager to sooth hurt feelings. The position requires gullibility. This is the perfect job for the tender, yielding individual. Wanted: Manager Competitive, ambitious person with leadership ability to head our administrative division. We want someone who is dominant and self‐sufficient. The position requires strong analytical ability. This is the perfect job for a self‐reliant, independent person.
Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are…
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Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.