This is a book for managers who know that their organisations are stuck in a mindset that thrives on fashionable business theories that are no more than folk wisdom, and whose so-called strategies that are little more than banal wish lists.It puts forward the notion that the application of uncommon sense - thinking or acting differently from other organisations in a way that makes unusual sense - is the secret to competitive success. For those who want to succeed and stand out from...

Functional stupidity can be catastrophic. It can cause organisational collapse, financial meltdown and technical disaster. And there are countless, more everyday examples of organisations accepting the dubious, the absurd and the downright idiotic, from unsustainable management fads to the cult of leadership or an over-reliance on brand and image. And yet a dose of stupidity can be useful and produce good, short-term results: it can nurture harmony, encourage people to get on with the job ...

Given the urgency and immediacy of so many business problems and challenges, a solid grounding in the history and evolution of business thinking will help managers separate fad from fact and apply the cumulative wisdom of the writers whose ideas have demonstrated profound and lasting impact. From Sun Tzu's timeless Art of War to the inventors of modern management in the 1920s-'40s to the books that have the captured the New Economy Zeitgeist, The Best Business Books Ever ...

Creating Intelligent Teams is a different way to initiate, manage and lead effective and positive change in teams and organisations. For any organisation looking to nurture and develop talent from amongst its own employees, the book offers an accessible, yet highly informative, information resource on:•how to recognise the influences on, and dynamics of, individuals and teams•how to enhance team performance•how effective leaders can boost productivity and build intelligent tea...

Studies have shown that coming up with strategies and executing them with success requires specific strategic competencies. It is no longer just about the big idea. Moving beyond a broad, fuzzy picture, however, requires strategic thinking and understanding the management matrix. This guidebook can help you identify critical functions of strategy, such as the alignment of operations, the continual improvement and innovation of systems design, and the allocation of effective recourses; lear...

This book will introduce you to a completely new way of thinking about business srategy and set your organisation on the path to sustainable business.

Professional organizations—such as accounting and consulting firms, law firms, and investment banks—are fundamental to the functioning of the global economy. Yet many of the most powerful are notoriously private. This book uncovers the complex, messy, and surprisingly emotional challenges of leading professional organizations—revealing the realities that lies beneath the 'professional' surface which these organizations present to the outside world. Individual professionals—highly educated,...

There has been an explosion of interest in entrepreneurs in the popular media, as well as in business, policy, and education. But what do entrepreneurs do? What is entrepreneurship and why is it important? What is distinctive about entrepreneurs? And where do they come from? In this Very Short Introduction Paul Westhead and Mike Wright weave a pathway through the debates about entrepreneurship, providing a guide to the entrepreneurial process. They look at how the actions of entre...

Want to be an effective, successful and happy academic? This book helps you hone your skills, showcase your strengths, and manage all the professional aspects of academic life. With their focus on life-long learning and positive reflection, Alex and Bailey encourage you to focus on your own behaviours and personal challenges and help you to find real world solutions to your problems or concerns.Weaving inspirational stories, the best of research and theory, along with pragmatic adv...

Ntsikie is a management consultant whose area of focus is strategy development, facilitation and implementation using various management practices, techniques and tools. She has experience working with public, private and NGO sectors, including facilitation with Boards of Directors. She is an avid practitioner of business excellence models and has proven track record applying her skills.

Recognizing and responding to change is the oxygen of life for an organization, and leadership is fundamentally about focusing organizations on these new realities. Leadership and Change Management provides the reader with a practical, real-world understanding of several dimensions of leadership that are usually neglected in management textbooks, such as the nature of new realities and how managers can improve their insight into them, and how leaders can identify and overc...

Why do we need motivated employees? The answer is survival. All managers want to know the secret of how to motivate employees. They know this ensures not only survival in a changing world but also serious productivity and progress. Motivating employees is perhaps the single most important function of management. And it is not that simple. Many myths and traps exist about motivation. Increasing money can decrease motivation. Older workers have different motivational factors than younger wor...