What Were They Thinking?: Unconventional Wisdom About Management: Jeffrey Pfeffer
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
There is much to laud about the objective perspective that Stanford professor and author Pfeffer brings to business. First and foremost, he calls em as he sees em, showcasing common management errors and building on four years as a Business 2.0 columnist. Trimming employees’ compensation and benefits packages? Nothing is gained from that immediate cost savings, except plummeting morale and retention issues—as the airline and auto industries have learned. Thinking about a merger or acquisition? Think again, he urges; it’s an easier strategy than fixing operations—but one that more often than not fails. No function or goal of corporate America is left unscrutinized, from strategy to human resources. Yet he softens his radical and common-sense opinions by offering a range of solutions and companies that practice them well. Pfeffer points to Whole Foods, to Larry Culp at Danaher, and to CEO Gary Loveman of Harrah’s as leaders who have managed to set corporate priorities and agendas that succeed. Short chapters with clear-cut messages and examples allow time to contemplate and copy. Jacobs, Barbara
Review
"Pfeffer talks a lot of sense. [He]provides a kind of alternative MBA in how not to run a business." –The Financial Times, July 17, 2007
The topics are diverse, from how companies get smarter to what to do about executive pay… –The Globe and Mail, October 24, 2007
There is much to laud about the objective perspective that Stanford professor and author Pfeffer brings to business. –BookList, June 15, 2007
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