The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First - Hardcover

Pfeffer, Jeffrey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0875848419 ISBN 13: 9780875848419

Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press, 1998

Synopsis

Why is common sense so uncommon when it comes to managing people? How is it that so many seemingly intelligent organizations implement harmful management practices and ideas? In his provocative new book, The Human Equation, bestselling author Jeffrey Pfeffer examines why much of the current conventional wisdom is wrong and asks us to re-think the way managers link people with organizational performance. Pfeffer masterfully builds a powerful business case for managing people effectively—not just because it makes for good corporate policy, but because it results in outstanding performance and profits. Challenging current thinking and practice, Pfeffer: reveals the costs of downsizing and provides alternatives; identifies troubling trends in compensation, and suggests better practices; explains why even the smartest managers sometimes manage people unwisely; demonstrates how market-based forces can fail to create good people management practices, creating a need for positive public policy; and provides practical guidelines for implementing high-performance management practices. Filled with information and ideas, The Human Equation provides much-needed guidance for managing people more wisely and more profitably.

About this title

About the Author

Jeffrey Pfeffer is the Thomas D. Dee Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He is the author of eight books, including Managing with Power and Competitive Advantage through People, both from HBS Press. He has consulted extensively for companies, universities, and industry associations in the U.S. as well as in 20 other countries.

From the Back Cover

"The Human Equation is simplicity itself. Jeffrey Pfeffer shows that organizations that support, encourage, and build the skills of their people outperform all competitors. The power of committed minds and hearts working toward a common goal wins today and builds for tomorrow." --Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, The Drucker Foundation

"Jeffrey Pfeffer's grasp of what makes companies successful moves us beyond the anecdotes to the facts. He tells us what the wise already know: People aren't a commodity to be acquired or sold. Rather, they are the fuel that drives the commerce of business." --James P. Hackett, President and CEO, Steelcase, Inc.

"For managers who already treat their personnel as the key factor in their company's economic success, The Human Equation confirms this policy. For skeptics, the book poses a challenge to change their strategy for managing people effectively." --Professor Dr. Walter Kunerth, Former Executive Vice President, Siemens AG

"My experience--both in and outside the business world--supports Pfeffer's view that effective leadership of the whole team is critical for sustained, profitable growth. Pfeffer has created a compelling path of logic, with lots of examples, to link people with profits and above-average people management with above-average performance. I recommend this book to business leaders at all levels." --H. A. Wagner, President and CEO, Air Products & Chemicals

"Bravo! Jeff Pfeffer illustrates the fact that although most companies say 'people are our most important asset,' only an enlightened few actually do put a positive focus on their employees. Through a strong case of facts, he converts what many consider a 'soft' subject to a 'hard' one, and he proves that a people-based strategy truly is a competitive advantage." --Sheryl L. Bartolucci, Executive Vice President, Bank of America

Reviews

An academic and a human resources expert, Pfeffer sets out to explore trends in management practices that trouble him, including downsizing and outsourcing strategies, which he sees as futile attempts to generate profits. Part 1, using quantitative evidence and qualitative case studies, explores the relationship between how organizations manage their people and the economic results achieved. Management practices directly flow from the philosophy of executives, and the author shows how long-term success is tied to concern for employees. Part 2 cites examples of how conventional wisdom in management theory is often wrong. Pfeffer believes that it takes courage for corporate leaders to abandon conventional wisdom and design strategies centered on employees, because this often is counter to what others in their industry and businesses in general are doing. Along with the tendency to "follow the crowd," the author cites other reasons why smart organizations sometimes do dumb things, which include excessive focus on measuring costs and rewarding financial rather than people management, as well as obsession with "mean" or "tough" management image. Mary Whaley

Pfeffer (Competitive Advantage Through People, LJ 2/15/94) argues persuasively that organizations typically fail to consider their culture and capabilities, particularly when planning for change. He addresses a number of people issues, such as downsizing, hiring practices, compensation approaches, and alignment of management practice with stated values. Although the author favors a fundamental approach, he shores it up with anecdotal information, logic, and wit, noting, for example, that downsizing does not eliminate costs but could be radically counterproductive (i.e., no expenses, no enterprise). Further, he gives examples of organizations that, while decidedly low-tech, manage to produce profits often associated with high-tech enterprises. Pfeffer further points out how a number of organizations in typically low-margin sectors outperform their competitors through an alignment of values. Indeed, Pfeffer's examples emphasize doing the right thing the right way. This book should be required reading for those planning organizational change.?Steven Silkunas, SEPTA/FRONTIER, Lansdale, Pa.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0875848419
• ISBN 13: 9780875848419
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368