Mastering Management 2.0: Your Single-Source Guide to Becoming a Master of Management - Softcover

Pickford, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0273654918 ISBN 13: 9780273654919

Publisher: Financial Times Management, 2001

Synopsis

This volume presents a series of articles originally published in the Financial Times on the fundamental concepts of management science and recent developments in the field. Articles in the series, which began in October 2000, were contributed by academics from business schools such as Wharton, Harvard, and Templeton College. Topics include, for example, governance of the family business, building an effective brand, and balancing work and life. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

About this title

About the Author

James Pickford is the Executive Editor of the Financial Times.

From the Back Cover

You know the mantra—the world isn't standing still and nor are the ideas, skills and knowledge you need as a manager—but, what are you doing about it?

The first tenet of management should be "never stop learning," but the sheer abundance of new management ideas and the complexity of modern business makes it hard to amass the breadth of knowledge you need to advance your career.

Mastering Management 2.0 is the antidote; a new set of perspectives from the best management brains from around the world.

Mastering Management 2.0 is a collection of the best writing from leading business thinkers at the world's top businesses and business schools including:

• City University Business School, London
• Columbia Business School
• Electrolux
• Harvard Business School
• IESE Business School
• IMD
• INSEAD
• Judge Institute, Cambridge University
• Kellogg Graduate School of Management
• London Business School
• Microsoft
• Nanyang Business School, Singapore
• Saïd Business School, Oxford University
• Sloan School of Management, MIT
• Stern School of Business, NYU
• Stockholm School of Business
• Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
• University of British Columbia
• Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Financial Times Mastering: World class thinking from the frontiers of innovation.

Based on the hugely popular Mastering inserts run by the Financial Times, the Financial Times Mastering Series covers every essential element of business.

Each book brings readers the latest ideas and innovations in a key business area in a structured, comprehensive and highly accessible format.

Featuring the brightest business minds on the biggest business topics, they are your single-source guides cutting-edge thought leadership.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

In October 2000 the Financial Times newspaper launched Mastering Management, a series of 15 weekly supplements explaining the theory and practice of management. Written by experts from leading business schools around the world, the series guided readers through the fundamental concepts of management science, and brought them up-to-date with the latest developments in what is a fast-changing field. This book contains the complete text of Mastering Management as it appeared in the Financial Times.

For most of the past century, general managers in large companies could pick up almost everything they needed to know about management in the day-to-day course of their careers. As they climbed the corporate ladder, young managers would spend time in different departments. They would supplement their technical knowledge of production and business processes with broader skills. Ultimately, they would be able to make "big-picture" decisions about the organization's structure and strategy, thanks to their accumulated understanding of the business.

In the 21st Century, large corporations are too complex for managers to amass such a breadth of knowledge. Gaining mastery of one area, such as operations or corporate finance, takes several years. It is no longer feasible to design a career path that demands all managers pass through all departments.

Although individual managers have a high level of specialist skill, they no longer have the broad knowledge they need to take on greater responsibility. When they make long-term decisions, chief executives need to draw on an informed perspective about the full range of business activities. Just as important, a chief executive needs to express a vision of the company's future that all employees find credible and inspiring.

To acquire these skills, they must undertake an MBA or try to find their way through a bewildering proliferation of management books and journals.

Mastering Management 2.0 aims to offer an antidote. As a primer in the core concepts of management, it is organized into 10 parts: the state of management today; enterprise and innovations; strategy; global business; business and society; the organization and human resources; skills of management; marketing; finance and accounting; production and operations. Seasoned readers of the Financial Times will remember the Mastering Management series and book of 1995, Mastering Management 2.0 covers some of the same areas, but brings a new set of academic perspectives and updates them for a different business environment.

The biggest of those differences has been the emergence of the internet and e-business. Some might argue that its importance should dictate an 11th part devoted entirely to the subject. To hive the internet off, however, is to miss the point. Its influence on management is such that it can only be properly examined as an integrated part of each sub-discipline. Where relevant, therefore, the authors have attempted to identify the specific, long-term effects of e-business in their field of expertise.

Many distinguished academics and experts have contributed to Mastering Management 2.0, from a diverse collection of business schools, including Wharton, London Business School, Harvard, Insead, Columbia, the Tuck School at Dartmouth, IMD, Templeton College, Oxford, IESE and Saïd Business School.

Mastering Management 2.0 is no substitute for an MBA degree, but it will serve as a guide through some of the important issues managers face. By studying the lessons of this book, we hope that readers will gain sufficient knowledge of the theory to see benefits in their own practice.

James Pickford, Executive editor, FT Mastering

Edition details

• Publisher: Financial Times Management
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0273654918
• ISBN 13: 9780273654919
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 480