Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for Dignity, Meaning, and Community (The Jossey-Bass Management Series) [Paperback]

Marvin R. Weisbord (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1555423701 | ISBN-13: 978-1555423704 | Publication Date: August 9, 1991 | Edition: First Edition

Offers specific how-to instructions for involving employees in designing new work methods and developing strategies for organizational improvement. Presents in-depth case studies of organizations that have used these techniques.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Marvin Weisbord is a trusted guide leading us to the questions, beliefs, and practices that help us be real contributors in these difficult times.”
—Margaret Wheatley, author, Leadership and the New Science

“This is an adventure story—the story of Marv Weisbord’s courageous search for ways to help managers and employees cooperate to create more productive and humane workplaces.”
—Paul Lawrence, Donham Professor Emeritus, Harvard Business School

"Those who remain true to the values presented in this book will not only be more effective in their work, but more ethical as well.”
—Ken Hultman, author, Making Change Irresistible and Balancing Individual and Organizational Values

“This book now falls into the category of a classic, a staple for those striving to understand the fundamental reasons for successful organizations . . . This is a readable book, free of ‘glitz’ and ‘flavors of the month. 217;”
—Robert Dilworth, associate professor of human resource management, Virginia Commonwealth University --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

Offers specific how-to instructions for involving employees in designing new work methods and developing strategies for organizational improvement. Presents in-depth case studies of organizations that have used these techniques.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; First Edition edition (August 9, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555423701
• ISBN-13: 978-1555423704
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #970,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a productive book on productive workplaces, November 3, 2000

By 

john seegers (richmond, va USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for Dignity, Meaning, and Community (The Jossey-Bass Management Series) (Paperback)

as assigned reading in a HRD graduate course PW proves to be a great resource and an enjoyable read. mr. weisbord opens his tool box and lets you choose from a wide array of tools to apply directly to HRD situations. he also shares his triumphs and his tragedies allowing the reader a better understanding of how he arrived at the pinnacle of his profession. i'm not given to a great deal of emotion or "warm fuzziness" but mr. weisbord's writings and experiences are so powerful i found myself totally absorbed. best of all mr. weisbord cuts to the chase and presents his material in a concise manner. a rare find when compared to the techno-babble double-speak crap most business writers are churning out...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I think it is the Best and Most Comprehensive "OD" book ever, November 20, 2004

By 

Douglas OLoughlin (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Productive Workplaces Revisited: Dignity, Meaning, and Community in the 21st Century (Hardcover)

The original Productive Workplaces was a wonderful overview of the past, present, and future of OD. I read it many times and recommended it to many consultants, who ALL enjoyed it. The updated book is also a joy to read and filled with gold nuggets of wisdom from this OD pioneer. The original book was way ahead of it's time and this "revisited" version is still visionary in many ways.

It is still hard to believe that Mr. Weisbord can tell such a compelling tale about the developments in the field while at the same time staying so grounded in the practical aspects of consulting and facilitating.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent foundation of OD theory and practice., October 28, 2002

By 

Connie S. Fuller (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for Dignity, Meaning, and Community (The Jossey-Bass Management Series) (Paperback)

Productive Workplaces by Marvin R. Weisbord is a classic text on the evolution or organization development and, in Weisbord's words, organizing and managing for dignity, meaning and community. Those familiar with Weisbord's style will enjoy reading his narrative of the individuals and events that led up to the field of organization development as we now know it. In Part One, Weisbord takes the reader through the history of Frederick Taylor, Lewin, McGregor, Trist, Emery, and others who contributed to the evolution of the productive workplaces in which many of us are now fortunate enough to dwell. In Part Two, Weisbord translates theory into practice as he describes methods by which the workplace might be transformed. Finally, in Part Three, Weisbord encourages the reader to explore new and evolving theories, thereby continuing the growth and evolution of the field. Productive Workplaces is a classic that should not be missed by anyone even slightly interested in the field of organization development or workplace effectiveness. I am currently using it as a textbook for a graduate-level OD course and finding it to be invaluable.