New Book LO7467
CAVALERI@CCSUA.CTSTATEU.EDU
Sun, 12 May 1996 10:49:10 -0400 (EDT)
MANAGING IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT LEARN is a book which is composed
of contributed essays and interviews on the theme of how managing can be
used to support and enhance learning in organizations. The book was
written over a three year span by a team of twenty-five academics,
consultants, and practitioners. The book is quite comprehensive,
including 18 chapters, five major interviews with leading OL figures, and
one extensive case on Reflexite Corp. (Inc magazine's 1994 "Company of the
Year".) The interviews include discussions with: Kermit Campbell (CEO
Herman Miller Corp.), Andre' Delbecq, John Sterman (MIT System Dynamics
group), Peter Vaill, Bill O'Brien (former CEO of Hanover Ins) and Cecil
Ursprung, (Ceo of Reflexite). Chapters have been written by contributors
such as: Richard Wise (former Director of Strategy, Travelers Ins. Co),
Nick Zangari (former GM of Hanover Ins and project manager for the work
with MIT Learning Center as discussed in Peter Senge's The FIFTH
DISCIPLINE, George Roth (Director of Research at MIT Learning Center),
James Thompson of Gemini Consulting, Stephen Hall (Manager of Quality at
Black & Decker), Craig Lundberg of Cornell Univ., and James Stoner of
Fordham University. Foreword was written by Francis Gouillart, Sr. VP
Gemini Consulting. The book also includes work by frequent OL Discussion
List contributors Ivan Blanco and Fred r Reed.
The book is published by Blackwell Publishers. Price is $40.
Length is 650 pages. ISBN# 1-55786-660-0.
My co-author/editor is my friend and colleague David Fearon.
The book has also received an endorsement from Peter Senge.
Over the course of three years to edit and write portions of this book I
became acutely aware of the great passion that my colleagues and members
of the team feel for the sublect of OL. Yet, it also became clear to me
that we are still in the infancy of development of knowledge about
organizational knowledge. For me, the crux of the matter of managing in
organizations that learn is the realization that old-style managing to
control is not needed when people are given the space to allow their own
personal and team control mechanisms to self-organize, grow, and develop.
One of our chapter contributors,Sharon Seivert (author of the book, MAGIC
AT WORK) described it most aptly by writing that we are living in a time
between two eras, the "in-between time" when we are challenged to let go
of old habits. Hopefully this book will serve as a bridge to serve
managers during this in-between time.
Steve Cavaleri Ph.D.
Professor of Management
Central Connecticut State University
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CAVALERI@CCSUA.CTSTATEU.EDU
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