Customer Reviews

The Ropes to Skip and the Ropes to Know: Studies in Organizational Behavior, 5th Edition

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Ropes" is the only book that I read as part of my MBA course work from which I actually learned something useful. I apply its lessons at work everday. It reveals how organizations truly work. The various scenes played out in the book have been duplicated in my own career experience many times over. It is incredible. It was as if the author had studied the firm that I worked for and then wrote this book. I consider this book crucial in helping me in my career. Not only in advancement but in alleviating the frustration of not understanding why things happen the way they do in organizations. For example, "Ropes" helps answer the question, why does the idiot get put in charge of a project and not the person who is the most capable. It is also an excellent reference. I often turn back to it to see how a situation that I am experiencing now played out in the book. Not only is it instructive but it is also extremely entertaining. I could not put this book down and finished reading it in a day and a half. Since then I have read it several more times. This is the only edition that I have read, but since the different editions are significantly changed, I am sure that the earlier editions are just as worthwhile. I would highly recomend "ropes" to anyone who works in any type of organization and wants to understand what is going on in that organization.

I have been reading the Ropes to Skip since my MBA, nearly two decades ago. Each have so much to contribute that I would recommend buying or finding the other four editions rather than go on to another book. Dr. Ritti keeps changing the stories enough to keep your interest. But what is really interesting is how these new stories and his theory seem to be a part of his journey of learning. For example, if I was younger than I am, I might gain more from his first edition than his later editions, as we all drop what is of burning interest in one part of our lives and of less in another. I'd say that these editions track from his forties to his sixties and thus should be of special interest in people of those ages. The stories are easy to read but even after reading these stories ten or twenty times when teaching them to my students, I still keep learning from them. A true master of organizational culture. In the style of Robert Shrank's "Ten Thousand Working Days" done by another insightful sociologist.

I liked it, I loved it, it was very good. The book describes personnel behavior in a large corporation. It gives real life examples of how personnel act and react under different circumstances and the reasons for it. As an MBA student I found the information of great interest and will, undoubtedly, experience it myself. The subject is taught only peripherally in schools but will, most likely, affect my career more than the hard subjects I am learning. Most college books are written by academics to impress other academics. In most cases the learning of the language (code) is the most difficult part of mastering the subject. Usually the subject itself is relatively easy to learn. For example: "A 360-degree feedback program involves the use of multiple sources of evaluation information collected from a full-circle of evaluators". It takes awhile to translate this to: "If you wish to learn ask everybody in sight".

As I read the book the paragraphs, sections and chapters just came in a stream and I just devoured them without stopping. I understood, I learned and I enjoyed.

A DOUBLE SUCCESS: it deals with issues central to life in an organization and in a way that can be easily understood.

This book is often touted as a great book for students, or for new workers just beginning their career. While I agree with that prescription, I think as well that this could be an important book for everyone, no matter what their age is or where they are placed in the corporate environment. Particularly in these difficult economic times, it's never a bad idea to remind yourself how organizations work, or how others may perceive you without your awareness. Updated with new stories for the 5th edition. Very useful bibliography of further reading.

I was assigned this book as a companion to Robbins & Judge, 2009 text Organizal Behavior. I really like this book of case studies. It does provide some insight into human behavior and how to read cooperate culture.

This is a great reference for anyone who is first starting out in business or for the seasoned employee or manager who wants to know why crazy, stupid things happen at work. This is an owner's manual for your job, especially if you work for a big company. The book is laid out in a series of small stories or tales. Each tale goes on to describe an event in the life of a fictitious employee and company. The tales will ring true to anyone who has spent time in the trenches. The book then goes on to explain these events from an organizational behaviorists point of view. You will be saying..."ah hah" alot.

Ritti writes an excellent view of corporate culture explaining the "why" decisions are made and "why" people act as they do in corporate America. It really helps to put the discipline of change management into perspective. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in organizational behavior (American companies only). My only criticism is that there is no short and simple explanation for each of the behaviors. The reader is forced to read the entire chapter and all of the short stories in order to get an idea as to what behavior is being described.

Ritti writes an excellent view of corporate culture explaining the "why" decisions are made and "why" people act as they do in corporate America. It really helps to put the discipline of change management into perspective. I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in organizational behavior (American companies only). My only criticism is that there is no short and simple explanation for each of the behaviors. The reader is forced to read the entire chapter and all of the short stories in order to get an idea as to what behavior is being described.

I really appreciated that this book came in on time. It was also in very good condition. I emailed the previous owner and she emailed me right back. Thank you Jennifer for everything.

It's a great management book with lots of tips. But way too centred on the American point of view. Here in Europe, there are things that just shouldn't be done the way Ritti puts them.