Effective Human Relations in Organizations

The Eighth Edition relies on the Total Person approach to prepare students for the workplace by highlighting disparate factors such as phsycial fitness, self-awareness, emotional control, integrity, and values orientation. Updated pedagogical aids feature opening vignettes Total Person Insights that offer quotes from respected writers, educators, and business leaders; and Thinking/Learning Starters that prompt students to make the text personally relevant. Also, learning objectives and review questions allow students to track their progress, while Application exercises suggest hands-on assignments and end-of-chapter cases provide role-playing scenarios. Expanded coverage of technology-related issues and the Information Age. Human Relations in Action boxed inserts present a mix of how to tips, examples from real-world organizations, and articles. The text looks at diversity in the workplace as a broad concept encompassing more than just race, ethnicity, and nationality such as age, income level, education, and different styles of communication.

Barry L. Reece is professor emeritus at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prior to this, he was on the faculty at the University of Northern Iowa. He received his Ed.D. from the University of Nebraska. Dr. Reece has been actively involved in teaching, research, consulting, and designing training programs throughout his career. He has conducted more than 500 workshops and seminars devoted to leadership, human relations, communications, sales, customer service, and small business operations. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award for classroom teaching at Virginia Tech and the Trainer of the Year Award presented by the Valleys of Virginia Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development. Dr. Reece has contributed to numerous journals and is author or co-author of six college textbooks that have been through a total of 41 editions. He has served as a consultant to Lowe's Companies, Inc., Wachovia Corporation, WLR Foods, Kinney Shoe Corporation, and numerous other profit and not-for-profit organizations.

Professor Rhonda Brandt combined a wealth of knowledge about human relations in the corporate world with an extensive teaching background to bring exceptional balance to this text. Professor Brandt taught interpersonal and business communications, human resources management, and various related courses in the Business and Marketing Division of Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Missouri. She received her B.A. in business education with vocational certification from the University of Northern Iowa and M.A. in Practical Arts and Vocational/Technical Education from the University of Missouri. She served as a faculty member at Hawkeye Community College and Administrative Support Department Chair at Springfield College. Professor Brandt conducted workshops and seminars for teachers, small businesses, and large corporations throughout the nation for more than twenty-five years before passing away in 2008.