Knowledge for Action: A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change [Hardcover]

Chris Argyris (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1555425194 | ISBN-13: 978-1555425197 | Publication Date: April 15, 1993

Must reading for academics and executives alike. Leading business scholar Chris Argyris helps readers understand why individuals and organizations are unable to learn from their action, then presents the steps that must be taken to change.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Knowledge for Action is must reading for academics and executives alike. Chris Argyris once again demonstrates that he is the leading scholar in helping us understand why individuals and organizations are unable to learn from their actions and what steps must be taken to develop this essential capability. No executive who desires his organization to improve and learn continuously, or academic who wants to develop usable as opposed to merely useful theory, can do so without understanding the message of this book." (Michael Beer, professor of business administration, Harvard Business School)

From the Inside Flap

The landmark book Action Science introduced a revolutionary new theory of organizational problem-solving. Knowledge for Action turns this theory into practice. The landmark book Action Science introduced a revolutionary new theory of organizational problem-solving. Knowledge for Action turns this theory into practice. "Knowledge for Action is must reading for academics and exceutives alike. Chris Argyris once again demonstrates that he is the leading scholar in helping us understand why individuals and organizations are unable to learn from their actions and what steps must be taken to develop this essential capability. No executive who desires his organization to improve and learn continuously, or academic who want to develop usable as opposed to merely useful theory, can do so without understanding the message of this book."—Michael Beer, professor of business administration, Harvard Business School

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 309 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass (April 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555425194
• ISBN-13: 978-1555425197
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #334,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chris Argyris is the James Conant Professor of Education and Organizational Behavior Emeritus at Harvard University. He has consulted to numerous private and governmental organizations. He has received many awards including thirteen honorary degrees and Lifetime's Contributions Awards from the Academy of Management, American Psychological Association, and American Society of Training Directors. His most recent books are, Flawed Advice and the Management Trap (OUP, 1999), and Reasons and Rationalizations (OUP, 2004). A chair professorship was established in 1994 at Yale University. He is a Director Emeritus of Monitor Group.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one book to read on ending office politices, June 30, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Knowledge for Action: A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change (Hardcover)

Argyris cuts to the heart of why organizations go wrong with a combination of passion and precision. Several authors who have written about effective teams and organizations such as Peter Senge and Gerald (Jerry) Weinberg regard Argyris's work quite highly, and rightly so. While other authors talk about and round the problems and issues, Argyris creates models which show not just what people do, but how they think. Other books in the field of Organizational Design that I have looked at appear dry as dust next to Argris. Readers should be cautioned, however, that Argyris is a academic and researcher -- reading his books requires work, but work well worth the effort. - Cortlandt Wilson, Software Consultan

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars solid material, hard to apply, April 27, 2010

By 

Rezensent "Rezensent" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Knowledge for Action: A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change (Hardcover)

Argyis' books are not an easy read. The same applies to this one. Being a researcher he invests a lot in trying to appear scientific. However, the material is still based on real-life examples, one specific example dealing with a group of executives who try to apply the principles of organizational learning to their new company.

Some of the ocnversations appear rather artificial in terms of the communication style and verbiage used. I have never heard anyone talk like that in real life.

The whole approach appears somewhat idealistic and hardly applicable to real life. That team of executives was only successful through coaching over a period of several years and because the whole group had committed to the experiment.

Try that on your own in a real-life office environment: good luck.
The approach may work, but only in the right (lab-like?) environment.

14 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another attempt for racionality behind human behavior, December 11, 2000

By 

José A. Sánchez Villanueva - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knowledge for Action: A Guide to Overcoming Barriers to Organizational Change (Hardcover)

I must confess I do not have psychological background. From my humble point of view, all books like this, look at "the good and rational background" of people. They have the premise that all the staff is doing their best but "strange forces" makes them not to get the optimum for the organization. So, the goal is overcoming those refraining forces. I do believe that behavior of people is headed for their own rational interest which is not always the best for the company. In adition, we are looking for rationality in behavior which is only part of the truth. Is not envy, jealousy, narrow-minded, stuborness and so on, part of human being behavior?. without them, we only have part of the great picture and so, remedies will not work properly. Apart from that, the book is well organized and explains clearly the models the author is working with and the methodology used. Premises are strong and goals interested which lead to good results (provided human being were not as they are).