Essential Management: Approaches and Practices for Line and HR Leaders in Turbulent Times

In this comprehensive text, three expert authors present actionable advice in an easy-to-read format for line and HR managers who wish to employ sound management practices that are effective but require time and effort.

In Essential Management, Dr. Ronald Gribbins, Mary Ruzicka, and Lisa Youngdahl use their combined decades of experience to provide a detailed approach of the essential concepts and functions of organizational behavior and HR management supported by a systems approach. Building off the fact that HR Management is a highly interrelated and looped activity, this book provides the know-how to make real changes in day-to-day activities.

Readers will delve into two major sections to understand the systems thinking approach presented: general management and HR.

In the general management section, the authors focus on teaching practices for improving business operations including:

● Leadership.

● Strategy formation.

● Decision making.

● Motivation.

● Culture and Transformational change.

In the HR section, practitioners will learn unique approaches to:

● Identifying and explaining scopes of the work.

● Candidate selection.

● Employee compensation.

● Evaluating performance management.

● Broaching the subject of termination.

● Managing transactional change.

Intended as a helping hand for practicing HR leaders, Essential Management provides critical insight and guidance to be proactive rather than reactive in routine HR situations.

Ronald Gribbins, MBA, Ph.D. has been on the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis for 48 years with his teaching focusing on organizational design, process issues, and core HR topics. He also served as the Director of the Human Resources Management program for 21 years.

Mary Ruzicka, MBA, SHRM-SCP, CCP is an HR Practitioner with 20 years of varied progressive leadership experience in industries including manufacturing, engineering, academia, and healthcare. She currently teaches for WorldatWork and facilitates the Society for Human Resource Management certification prep classes.

Lisa Youngdahl, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is a human resources generalist specializing in employee acquisition, performance and development, and all elements of HR administration. She served over 25 years as an HR director for entrepreneurial start-ups, publicly traded companies, and in higher education.