Customer Reviews

The Employee Handbook for Organizational Change: Facing the Problems, Finding the Opportunities

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In parental fashion, the book blames the workers for corporate failures. This pro-management piece of propaganda insinuates the workers are the problem, it stereotypes them as malcontents and recalcitrant rebels. In a "thou shalt be ashamed of thineself" mode it warns that management failures are due to the intransigent and rebellious employees' indifference toward managment and change. The book absolves management of all failures and instead points the finger at the work staff's inability to cope with change. It further justifies management's "cold" behavior as being in the best interest of the corporation (vs. employees).

I agree management's vision and actions should be directed toward its corporate goals and longevity, but it gives no credit to most of the employees who understand this. Instead, it preaches that "you" workers are mostly incapable of long-term vision & understanding that change is "good", and that "good ole" management has to beat this fact into you employees.

Basically, the book justifies all management action and behavior while chastising workers for not going along, not coping, and ultimately being responsible for negative outcomes. The myths stereotype workers as sniveling, ungrateful, and behind-the-times, while justifying management's mistakes as a "cost of doing business".

The book has many fine points and can go a long way toward acceptance if it could present a more effective picture of management and employees in a joint venture together, in a partnership for the betterment and enhancement of the employment and paycheck producing corporation. Cut out the guilt production and anti-employee negativity and expound instead on the positivity of shared responsibility for the well-being of the company.

This is not actually a handbook in the sense of it being a concise reference, but rather it is something that organizations undergoing change might want to distribute in order to suppress dissention among the rank and file. Its message: Resist organizational change and you will be crushed; embrace change and you might keep your job.

Most of the handbook comprises a "myth versus reality" section. The myths are the employee perceptions, the realities are management perceptions. The author includes tips on handling the stress of organizational upheaval such as exercise, relaxation, and humor. However, he has omitted one of the most effective: Lining up a new job.