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by: Jeffrey Pfeffer  List Price: $29.95 Amazon.com's Price: $19.77 You Save: $10.18 (34%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 658.314 EAN: 9780875848419 Edition: 1 ISBN: 0875848419 Label: Harvard Business School Press Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 345 Publication Date: 1998-01 Publisher: Harvard Business School Press Studio: Harvard Business School Press Related Items:
Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: The lure of new and profitable markets has lead many companies to formulate strategies to capture these markets. This focus on strategy often leads to downsizing and the shedding of old businesses in favor of a "lean" economic model that stresses outsourcing. The strategy that leads to downsizing has its short-term rewards--a fatter bottom line and happy shareholders. Jeffrey Pfeffer argues that much of this downsizing is nothing more than a throwback to 100-year-old employment practices. Instead of cutting costs as a means to increase profits, companies should focus more on building revenue by relying on solid people-management skills. Through dozens of examples, Pfeffer demonstrates that successful companies worry more about people and the competence in their organizations than they do about having the right strategy. Pfeffer contends that the strategy part is relatively easy--it's the day-to-day execution that's hard. Companies that understand the relationship between people and profits are the ones that usually win in the long run. Product Description: 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. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - It ain't magic, but it seems most companies have a hard time doing it rightI managed companies this way for 30 years. I found there were 4 kinds of employees: 1. the driving forces who do an exceptional job and solve problems. 2. the core group. they come to work everyday and do a good job day in and day out 3. the underachievers. they like conspiracy theories, high on the victim scale, only do what they're told, they're always being screwed over. 4. the emotional drainers. toxic, bring everyone else down. Read More Rating:  - Capitalists of People, not earningsMonarchs are rarely envisioned as capitalists because they need not earn the funds they spend. Capitalists are those who through the talents of others, and the development of talent, earn the profits distributed to shareholders who place faith in their ability to manage. While cost cutting, and particuarly, people cutting, may save money and enhance earnings, there is no capitalism involved except to move people off of the payroll, or reduce their pay. It is an illusion of cost efficiency ... Read More Rating: - Profits come from ... People!Putting people first is more often said than done. From extensive research and over ten years of firsthand experience I can honestly say that this is rarely put into practice, particularly in larger organizations. The very title conveys a powerful message "... Building Profits by Putting People First." Since the dawn of the Industrial Age, people were considered costs and therefore something to be minimized or eliminated as much as possible. However, this attitude is of little ... Read More Rating: - The importance of people to organizations' returnsSummary: This book highlights the importance of respecting employees in an organization. By treating employees as a strategic asset, a firm can make lucrative profits. The book can be divided into the following parts. ¡P Wrong sources of organizational success that firms commonly use ¡P Seven practices of successful organizations ¡P Reasons why smart organizations sometimes do dumb things and the suggested solutions ¡P How conventional ... Read More Rating: - Explains the importance of putting people before profitsThis book is very well researched, although perhaps over-long in some parts. The underlying message is that "do you see people as labour costs to be reduced or eliminated, or do you see your people as the only thing that differentiates you from your competition?" I did find it quite satisfyingly radical for a US author to actually recommend that US Managers need to look overseas, as in this quote : "One might be well-served to spend more time outside of the United States ... ... Read More 
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