Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice, 2nd Edition

PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION

The first edition of Organization has been very well received, translated into several languages and used in many countries around the world. It was one of the few comprehensive treatments of its subject that drew on research and experience in order to advance guidelines for policy and practice. Nevertheless, after ten years, a new edition was called for.

My aim in writing this second edition remains the same as that set out in the preface to the original edition (which follows this one). Organization is a vitally important subject that affects our lives in all sorts of ways. Most times it shapes how we work with other people and how we interact with them. The environments in which we spend much of our time, whether work or leisure, are organized ones. This book describes the main features of contemporary organization, looks to their principles or rationales, and places them in a relevant context. My basic intention is to provide the insight that will enable us to appreciate the degree of choice that is available in how we go about organizing our collective activities. While it does not neglect well-established ways of organizing, the book focuses on newer forms of organization that are evolving to cope with the changing conditions of the 21^st century. Some of these initiatives point to ways in which we may be able to cope better with the rising expectations we place on organizations. On the whole, there is nowadays much greater scrutiny of how private ...