| The effectiveness of 37 management ideas is tested. Support found for: budgeting, participative management, management by wandering around (MBWA), basic psychological insights, profit sharing/bonuses/stock purchase plans, project control models (Gantt charts, PERT, CPM), quantitative techniques (statistics, time-motion studies), networking, empowerment, corporate culture, total quality management/control (TQM, Deming), communications network, pep talks, conflict resolution, stress management, excellence/quality enhancement (Tom Peters), management by objectives. Support not found for: ethics training, holistic management, quality of work life/job enrichment/job redesign, quality circles, assertiveness training, transcendental meditation, biofeedback, Leadership Development Sessions (Krone), Lifespring, Japanese management, race relations training, one-minute managers, new age management, Japanese-military training for executives, executives to the wilderness (Outward Bound), rap sessions/T-groups (sensitivity training)/encounter groups, Theory X, Y (McGregor), Scientology, est/The Forum, managerial grid.;Management innovations, models, paradigms, successes, fads, feints, and frauds are discussed from the Bible to zero based budgeting and zero defects. Ideas to increase worker morale, management effectiveness, worker motivation or attitude, and increase productivity are studied. Overselling of ideas, questions to ask before training is presented.;Presented are: management history, foreign competition, trade balance, management schools: classical (Fayol, Robert Owen, Carl Barth, Chester Barnard, Gilbreths), scientific management (Babbage, Frederick Taylor), human relations (Follett, Hawthorne studies), psychological (Maslow, Argyris, Likert, Herzberg), quantitative techniques (operations research); training costs, (strategic) human resources (personnel) management and performance, change (Rosabeth Kanter), quick fix, Machiavelli, Thomas More's Utopia, ideology, pragmatism, business book sales, business degrees granted (undergraduate, MBA), leadership, men and women's failure to speak up (whistle-blowing), training evaluation, life cycle of management ideas. Companies: IBM, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Bell, American Management Association, consultants, IRS. A data flow diagram of management is presented. Peter Drucker's MBO and In Search of Excellence discussed in-depth.;Greatest need: reading/writing, motivation of workers, organization work groups, math skills, statistics.;Knowledge workers (computer programmers, systems analysts, (DPMA members), statisticians, high technology, research and development, ala Robert Reich and John Naisbitt) and managers (CEO, middle managers, supervisors) is the focus. There are implications for college curriculum, accreditation organizations, training departments, and managers. |
