Mintzberg on Management [Hardcover]

Henry Mintzberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1989

In this exploration of the function of management, the author focuses on how companies work, challenging traditional assumptions from a "grass roots" point of view. He answers questions such as "how do organizations function and structure themselves?", "how do their power relationships develop and their goals form?" and "by what processes do managers make important strategic decisions?". He shows how the elements for successful business strategy is rarely born in solitary contemplation suggesting that they often come together in the heat of battle. The author is co-winner of the McKensey Award for the best Harvard Business Review article for 1987.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book brings together Mintzberg's thoughts on organizations and how they are managed. The essays, many published previously in book or journal form, are grouped into three sections. The first deals with the world of management--what the manager does, the process of strategy development, and the need for both analysis and intuition in management. The second focuses on how differently configured organizations achieve coordination and formulate strageties, the role of politics in organizations, and the driving forces in organizations. The final section addresses the role of the large organization in society. The book raises many important questions. Highly recommended.
- Jane M. Kathman, Coll. of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Henry Mintzberg is Bronfman Professor of Management at McGill University and is president of the Strategic Management Society. He is also a two-time winner of the McKinsey Award for the best Harvard Business Review article. His first McKinsey Award recognized "The Manager's Job: Folklore and Fact," published in 1975, and in 1987 Mintzberg received his second McKinsey Award for "Crafting Strategy."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 418 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (July 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0029213711
• ISBN-13: 978-0029213711
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #971,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Coupling Analysis and Intuition, January 11, 2001

By 

"borlind" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mintzberg on Management (Hardcover)

Mintzberg has always been an academic who studies management with a sympathetic and slightly amused view. This 1989 book is really worthwhile having in your biz library to quickly flip through before you run your next strategy session just to remind you of what you need to work towards.

In this book, Mintzberg was forming his ideas on Strategic Thinking versus Strategic Planning which, for me, was a hugely valuable distinction. He examines why the value of the hard economic facts win over the social goals in most corporate strategies - cost reduction and profit come ahead of the people and environment. He then develops his theme of the machine corporation versus the innovative organization with many useful insights for today's company struggling to become organic and 'ecosystem friendly'. The ideas are still highly applicable, intelligent and like a good wine, get better with time.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic collection from Canadian management guru, July 20, 2003

By 

Gerard Kroese (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mintzberg on Management (Hardcover)

Henry Mintzberg is Professor of Management at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. This book is split up in three parts, with each part consisting of three-to-nine chapters.

The first part is on management, "that process by which the people who are formally in charge of whole organizations or part of them try to direct or at least to guide what they do." This section builds largely on Mintzberg's early work, in particular on his research as PhD-student. In these chapters, Mintzberg really knocks down some famous myths and folklore about management.

The second and largest part is on organizations. Much of this section is based on Mintzberg's research into trying to classify organizations, "first from the perspective of structure and later from the perspective of power." There is an introduction into classification, seven chapters on each configuration, and a final chapter which looks at the broader issues of forces and forms in organizations.

The third and final part looks at our society of organizations and "how we try to influence them and how they influence us in turn and thereby make our lives happy and miserable." It discusses the fact that organizations influence our lives in a great many ways.

Yes, this a great collection from Canadian-born management guru Henry Mintberg who has always been a very challenging author. Although this book has been split up in three parts, each chapter can be read on its own. Several chapters have been published in various magazines, with many winning different types of awards. I recommend this book to all people interested in management, but in particular to MBA-students. The book is written in simple business US-English.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should be mandatory reading, August 30, 1999

By 

Roland Buresund - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mintzberg on Management (Hardcover)

This is one of the few books that I consider great. As a practicing CEO I find it refreshing when common sense thinking shows up in the academic world. If you would like to read a well researched book with a very deep insight into the business world (both American, Canadian and European), this is absolutely your pick. Highly recommeded, even if it is a bit wordy from time to time.