Ropes to Skip and the Ropes to Know: Studies in Organizational Behavior (Wiley Series in Management)

An intriguing, allegorical depiction of the cultural mechanisms of organizational life, this book reveals the psychological processes and social mores at work within corporate organizations through fictional characters representing corporate types (``the secretary,'' ``the universal subordinate,'' ``the universal executive,'' etc.) Its readable, instructive approach goes beyond the usual technical/rational analysis of books on organizational behavior, giving a behind-the-scenes look at corporate life.

College faculty members Ritti (Penn State) and Funkhouser (Rutgers) have combined to produce a decidedly unacademic look at the world of business, featuring lively writing and irreverence. Their thesis is that organizations can be viewed in either of two ways: from a technical/rational viewpoint or a cultural/interpretive one. They concentrate on the latter, based on the notion that any business is a closed culture, a society unto itself. They introduce a cast of individuals who play archetypal roles in a firm they call "The Company": Stanley, a Candide-like figure who wises up as he climbs the corporate ladder; a CEO; a male executive who knows what he's doing, and another who doesn't; a woman executive; a black on the way up; a consultant, etc. This is a business milieu that MBA programs don't teach.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.