Books and articles in brief

Books and Articles in Brief

James W. Marcum, Ph. D., is director of libraly services at Centenaq, College of Louisiana in Shrevepart. Rachael Green, MLS, is a reference librarian at Noel Memorial Library, Louisiana State Univer- sity, Shreveport. Patrick W. Withen, Ph.D., is visiting assistant professor of sociology at Centenary College.

James W Marcum, Rachael Green, and Patrick W Withen

BOOKS On Great Service: A Framework for Action by Leonard L. Berry. New York: Free Press, 1995. 304 pages; $28.

Service management is a well- plowed field, but Berry, a marketing professor at Texas A m , manages to add some new contours for perspec- tive. From his study of firms ranging from Mary Kay Cosmetics to the Hard Rock Cafe, he extracts lessons and examples that others would do well to emulate.

Berry stresses the need for service leadership, which is different from general leadership in that it fosters trust in the employee and the development of a service mentality. He urges the development of a service information system utilizing multiple research strategies. And he promotes the use of a comprehensive service strategy based on the principles of reliability, surprise, recovery, and fair- ness. Each of these principles, put into effect, could serve to differenti- ate a company from the competition.

The book purports to offer a framework for building service excel- lence, and many excellent examples and illustrations of effective practice are provided. But this is not a guide- book offering figures and exercises for team meetings and strategy ses- sions. There is much good sense, however, in this urgent appeal for

organizations to take up the service challenge before it is too late. -JWM

When Lean Enterprises Collide: Competing Through Confronta- tion by Robin Cooper. Boston: Harvard Business School, 1995. 395 pages; $35.

Much of the strategic thinking of American business has focused on attaining the “franchise,” the clear advantage that could be exploited at length for great profit. Such advantages occurred from time to time in the mass-production age. But such advantages no longer exist, at least not for long. N o niche can.escape competition from global-and lean- companies indefinitely. The question is no longer whether it is necessary to compete, but rather whether competition can ever be escaped.

Instead of avoiding competition, companies must embrace it. Such is the message of Cooper, who teaches management at Claremont Graduate School. The lessons provided come from close observation of 20 lean Japanese companies.

Gauging the competitive position of a product involves the three components of what Cooper calls the “survival triplet” of cost, quality, and functionality. With the current em-

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phasis on quality rendering advantage in this sector rare, the issue resolves to cost and functionality. The customer has a range of tolerance of these factors, but it may be quite limited. So producing a product at a cost that is profitable becomes the core issue for any product, or service, provider. And cost management becomes, in the course of this process, a crucial factor, one often overlooked in traditional management practice. Cost management can guide future product development through value engineering and partnering; for existing products costs can be brought down through employee suggestions and operational control. Entrepreneur- ial spirit can be captured through the development of microprofit centers.

One can avoid competition by simply closing shop. Or, one can enter the ring, work hard and smart, and take his or her licks. According to Cooper, a well-run company should be able to win enough rounds to stay profitably in business-JWM

Communicating Organizational Change: A Management Perspec- tiue, edited by Donald Peter Cushman and Sarah Sanderson King. Albany, NY: State University ofNewYorkPress, 1995.334pages; $19.95.

This work is the latest of several focusing on high-speed management and the key to achieving it, communication. Because the ideas presented here are successfully tied to the earlier work in this area, they create an impressive integrated body of management thought. Communication is presented in a relatively new light, focusing on the purpose of communi-

cation and the structures that must exist if communication is to be successful. This is a welcome change from the micro-level communication analyses focusing on delivery, listen- ing skills, and feedback. And communication is placed in its proper per- spective as a support structure for the core competencies of the firm, whether they be in R&D, manufacturing, or marketing. But communication is portrayed as a key support structure, if not an infrastructure, for the competitive advantages of the core competencies cannot be maintained if the speed of communication and change in the organization cannot meet the competition and/or the needs of the customer.

The contributions to this volume were selected from a conference in Sydney, Australia, in January 1994. In the first 11 chapters, the authors pro- vide analyses related to both private- sector (eight chapters) and public sector (three chapters) coalignment- that is, the communicating of the organizational changes necessary to react to the external environment and internal competencies (value chains) in a timely (high-speed) manner. The last four chapters look at communication patterns in China, Australia, Po- land, and other post-communist coun- tries, and at communication in Asian job interviews.

The book is valuable for individuals looking for an overall communication strategy for their organization. By focusing on communication with external stakeholders and competitors (as structured by environmental scanning) and on communication with internal stakeholders, the editors present a successful picture of an integrated, comprehensive process of


organizational communication.- PWW

Sustaining High Performance: The Strategic Transformation to a Customer-Focused Learning Or- ganization by Stephen G. Haines, with Katie McCoy. Delray Beach, FL: St. Lucie Press, 1995.288pages; $39.95.

It’s a pity when the purpose of a good book is diminished by a mis- leading title. The title of this book captures four hot business buzzwords: high performance, strategic transformation, customer-focused, and learning organization. The problem is that the book touches on two of the four only implicitly or in passing (high performance and learning organization). The strategic transformation and customer-focus components are valid, but this is really a book about strategic management, and it should have been presented in that light.

Haines is a consultant specializing in strategic planning. The major fail- ing of the field, in his view, is the lack of carry-through, and it is his purpose to show how that can, and must, be done. He fulfills that purpose in part with a step-by-step procedure for implementing the plan. Among the important points made is that implementing the plan encompasses 80 percent of the effort, while drawing up the plan represents only 20 percent; most “planning” ceases with the planning stage, which results in most plans collecting dust. He stresses that key success factors must be identified and measured to know how well the organization is progressing. These measures must be qualitative in nature to escape reliance on existing

budgetary and fiscal constraints alone. The budget can tell you if you are going bankrupt, but it is worthless when it comes to strategic change to give the organization a chance to succeed. The participation of the entire organization as well as key stakeholders must be assured through a parallel feedback mechanism.-JWM

Back on the Quality Track: How Organizations Derailed and Re- covered by Kathryn Huddleston. New York: AMACOM, 1995. 310 pages; $27.95.

Founder of the management and leadership training company KHA, Kathryn Huddleston offers sage advice on implementing quality improvement programs in a wide variety of organizations. Because her consulting experience ranges from DuPont to the U.S. Air Force, there is advice in this book for nearly every type of organization. This broad experience shows in the prescription of the book: Because each organization is different, a different track to quality must be found.

There are, however, some important lessons for anyone embarking on the quality track. Changes designed to implement quality must affect the work process, and not simply focus on the manner in which work is administered. Leaders must stay in touch with the troops in the trenches. And the troops as well as the leaders must stay in touch with the customer. To do this, bureaucracy and the lay- ered organization must be cut. While all this sounds familiar, the larger points made in the book place these ideas in their proper context. In what is now beginning to be a familiar

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refrain, the author acknowledges that organizations need to be extremely precise when cutting back. This preci- sion is necessary for two reasons: first, it is possible to cut too much or the wrong part of the organization; second, the organization must preserve a viable culture of trust.

Huddleston believes that quality production can be sustained only if the goal of quality and staying close to the customer is thoroughly embed- ded in the culture of the organization. This book explains how to do this, moving the pursuit of quality from the pasting on of a new program to the transformation of the organization so that quality is the program.-PWW

Every Manager’s Guide to Busi- ness Process: A Glossary of Key Terms G Concepts for Today’s Business Leader by Peter GW- Keen and Ellen M. Knapp. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1995.240pages; $29.95 hardcover, $14.95 paperback.

While reference glossaries are always useful, Evely Manager’s Guide proves to be more than a mere glossary of business terms. Its lengthy introduction of 36 pages explores the definition of the subject matter of business processes, analyzes the im- portance of process as compared to technology, innovation, etc., explores all the known varieties of business processes, and discusses the book’s mantra of “getting the right process right.” The latter point is particularly important because many businesses do get the process right and yet still struggle or fail. This “process para- dox” is the result of the successful implementation of the wrong process

for the industry/market. Therefore, the purpose of this glossary is to help the firm choose the right process and correctly implement the process.

The glossary itself is useful in its coverage of hundreds of terms, concepts, and models from agency theory to the worth/salience matrix. Many of the entries are cross-referenced, and all are lengthy enough to be informa- tive. The average entry is one-page long, with many being several pages long.

The authors maintain a rigorous neutrality toward the plethora of business processes available today, but they advocate using the worth/salience matrix to determine which process is right for a business given its current internal and external environment.

Overall, the book is thought pro- voking and will be useful to those who are unfamiliar with the terrain or who want to be assured that they have the right process-PWW

The N e w Language of Work by Danny G . Langdon. Amherst, Mass.: HRDPress, 1995.233 pages; $27.95.

The point of this unique book is quite simple: We do not communicate very well and that causes a great deal of organizational inefficiency and in- effectiveness. Langdon offers a sim- plistic solution, but one that is difficult to implement: We must improve our language for work.

The author nicely analyzes the structure and purpose of language. It consists of defined words, syntax, message, and medium. This can be translated into the workplace as a lexicon of only six defined words

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(inputs, outputs, conditions, conse- quences, process, and feedback), a syntax of a performance paradigm, a message of work applications, and a medium of work application tools. This simple model can be used for any work, from the line to the professional office, he says. It can also clarify the interface between workers and managers and can help overcome the gaps in understanding created by professional jargon.

This is a distinctive and notable work. The solution it proposes would involve an extensive and well-guided learning process. The results of the learning could be awesome for any organization where clear communication is essential.

Implementation of the language of work begins properly with individuals, who can relate the process to their own work. From there the approach can be taken to the team or work group, thence to the business process, and finally to the entire business.-JWM

Outcome Management: Redesign- ing Your Business Systems to Achieve Your Vision by C. Dan McArthurandLarryWomk. New York: Quality Resources, 1995.256 pages; $24.95

A book without bibliography or citationsgives one pause, but McArthur and Womack are seasoned consultants and have solid experience to share. They offer a different slant on business transformation, one cogni- zant of TQM procedures yet indepen- dent of any closed procedure and properly wary of consultants in general. The handle of ‘‘omcome management” is taken from Deming’s

admonition to managers: “Manage outcomes. Let the people manage themselves.” They carry through this theme by steady emphasis on the two tracks of organizational change: regular business processes and outcomes.

This book is not the product of research or a careful compendium of practice. It is the current thinking of a pair of seasoned consultants. It would serve well for a TQM or reengineering project manager who needs insight and inspiration to rejuvenate a flag- ging endeavor. The thinking is sound, the case studies apt, and the presen- tation is clear and direct.-JWM

The Age of Participation: New Covernance forthe Workplace and the World by Patricia McLagan and Christ0 Nel. San Francisco: Berrett- Koehler Publishers, 1995. 315 pages; $27.95.

McLagan and Nel’s work is an in- sightful and provocative attempt at both selling the concept of the participative workplace and explaining how to do it. And they succeed on both accounts. The book is written from the point of view of a practicing manager, and while the authors discuss the radical nature of their project, they remain grounded in Drucker, Peters, and Mintzberg. This attention to the main- stream management literature gives the book an authoritative air that estab- lishes not only credibility but also prac- ticality. On top of this, the book manages to explore the necessary connec- tions to the larger environment, including discussions of increasing the levels of participation in government and volunteer organizations.

The authors include sections on the rationale and advantages of the

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participative workplace; the funda- mentals of a participative workplace; the varieties of participative work- places; the problems in making the transition from the old, authoritarian workplace to the new, participative workplace; and participation in other forms of organizations. Unfortunately, they do not address several relevant topics, including the European models of the participative workplace, which are older and more developed than any in the United States, and the place for unions and other employee involvement structures in the participative workplace.

Nonetheless, this is a valuable book for anyone serious about insti- tuting participative structures in the workplace and can be used by the organization envisioning total employee participation, as well as by the organization envisioning incremental change toward greater participation.- PWW

Catching the Wave: Workplace Reform in Australia by John Mathews. Ithaca, NY: ILR Press, 1994. 376 pages; $45 hardcover, $21.95 paperback.

While Catching the Wave focuses on innovative enterprises in Australia, the author places this exploration in a global context, drawing liberally on examples of workplace reform in the United States, Germany, Great Brit- ain, and Japan, as well as Australia. Mathews concentrates on what he calls “the reform of work,” as opposed to innovations based on new management techniques, new technology, JIT, CIM, or any of the other fads that make up the alphabet soup of business reform today. The reform of

work in Australia follows the tenets of the sociotechnical school as first con- ceived in Europe. But the Australian model goes far beyond the European model because of important changes to the Australian system of industrial relations that began in 1980. These changes included an increase in the efficiency and collaboration of the tripartite system of business, labor, and government which resulted from a reform of unions, government policy, and business strategies.

As important as this discussion is, Mathews’s discussion of the sociotechnically organized workplace as compared to traditional mass manufacturing and the relatively new Japa- nese form of lean production (and its American counterpart) is important. Through a series of case studies of Australian firms, Mathews demon- strates that the sociotechnically organized workplace is the wave of the future because it allows for high- quality, shorter/specialized production runs, continuous improvement, and functional flexibility. In short, the Australian model exhibits a closer fit with the contemporary global environment than other workplace forms.

Catching the Wave is a useful book for managers and for theorists of industrial relations and organizational studies, but its weighty explorations may prove too aggressive for lower- level students.-PWW

Manufacturing Strategy: How to Formulate and Implement a Win- ning Plan by John Miltenburg. Portland, OR Productivity Press, 1995.400 pages; $45.

This is a handbook that should reside on every manufacturer’s book-



shelf. The author-a professor at McMaster University in Canada with GM experience-offers no single- method promotion, but rather a comprehensive overview of the strategies, systems, and capabilities of manufacturing. The design and implementation of manufacturing strategies are made easy with clear figures and charts that are rendered even more useful by the large format of this well- produced book.

After an eight-chapter introduc- tory section comes a treatment of various techniques currently in use to improve manufacturing. These include TQM, reengineering, kaizen, agile manufacturing, soft and hard technologies, learning, product life cycle, and investment evaluation. The final section provides a chapter each on the seven production systems: job shop, batch flow, flexible manufacturing, operator-paced line flow, just- in-time, equipment-paced line flow, and the continuous flow production system.

Many chapters conclude with read- ing lists. The illustrations are drawn from real-life manufacturing experi- ences, many observed by the author in his research and consulting work. Productivity Press has delivered an excellent resource at a price that makes it a real bargain.-JWM

The Performance Imperative: Strategies for Enhancing Workforce Eflectiveness, edited by Howard Risher and Charles Fay. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publish- ers, 1995.456 pages; $33.95

“American industry is on the verge of a second revolution.” So begins an absorbing analysis of why Taylorism

continues to grip much of American industry and how and why we must shed this workforce management strategy. Beyond the editors, the book has too many noteworthy contributing authors to mention. Their penned labors are divided into the categories of organization design, leadership and its role in organizational performance, high-performance organizations, ern- ployee rewards, and applicable fed- eral labor law,

The book pulls no punches in delving into the choices facing Ameri- can business. Business may either reduce staff with the expectation that those remaining work harder and smarter, or it can encourage employees to find innovative ways to improve quality and output. The first is the age-old strategy brought into high relief by Taylor. The second is the fundamental, often unrecognized strategy behind such programs as TQM, empowerment, employee involvement, and reengineering.

The analyses presented in The Performance Imperative are particularly useful because the editors take the point of view that American industry is in a crisis of competition. They go on to examine why the old ways persist in spite of the fact that many ideas on employee involvement have been around for 30 years or more. The reasons for the resistance range from social-psychological ones, such as managers not wanting to give up power o r workers not wanting to give up old work habits, to structural resistances, such as hostile industrial relations, which make a collaborative environment difficult if not impossible. The strength of the book is that the contributing authors take us beyond this resistance to the

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businesses where empowerment programs have empowered, to where leadership has led by example, to where a shared vision is more than an advertising theme, to the workplace where Taylorism is dead.-PWW

Value Migration: How to Think Several Moves Ahead of the Com- petition by Adrian J. Slywotzky. Boston Harvard Business School, 1996.336 pages; $24.95.

One of the most troubling problems for any top manager is deciding what strategy to adopt next. What are the major trends affecting the industry? How can the major strategic errors of the big three automakers, IBM, and Sears be avoided? Who is next? Can any means be found to emulate the great successes of Wal-Mart, Microsoft, Charles Schwab, Starbucks, or South- west Airlines? Is the secret to be found in technology? Genius? Luck?

Slywotzky is a consultant specializing in business strategy with close ties to Harvard Business School. Ac- cording to the author, value migration signals changes in customer needs. Value migration is simply a tracking of the ratio of market value of a company to revenues. A ratio of more than 2: l indicates value inflow; .8 to 2 signifies stability; less than .8 signals value outflow and trouble ahead. (Value migration, or “growing market value,” is akin to but different from the price/earnings ratio used extensively by investment analysts. The author should have explained the correlation between and distinctions of the two measures.)

Business design is Slywotzky’s crucial factor, not technology. Close attention to the attitudes, not just the

behaviors, of the customer is another key factor. A “radar screen” scanning method to perceive early warnings and to acknowledge-rather than deny-emerging competitors is a necessary part of the process. Sears was not eclipsed by Wards, but by Wal- Mart; American Airlines is affected far more extensively by Southwest than by United. It was not ABC and CBS that dealt NBC a body blow, but rather Ted Turner and Blockbuster Video.

Powerful business designs that grow market value are not limited to the small. GE, AT&T, EDS, Disney, and many other giants have demon- strated that they can be nimble and effective at the growing market value as well. This is a significant, easy to understand, and very useful book.- J W M

Total Quality Service: Prlnciples, Practices, and Implementation by D.H. Stamatis. Delray Beach, FL: St. Lucie Press, 1996. 334 pages; $39.95.

This is a thorough and clear de- piction of what quality service is and how different it is from the production of quality products. The delivery of quality service is more complex, involves very different skills-more psychological than technical-and is far more difficult to measure and manage than TQM in quality production processes. A service delivery is intangible, perishable, and subject to greater variability of customer per- ception than a product alone.

Since quality service is people- centered, the author addresses inter- personal skills, such as teams, empowerment, problem solving, and conflict resolution. There is also a 60-


Books and Articks in Brief

page chapter on tools and their appli- cability to analyzing and improving service delivery. Scholarly background is provided, as are various figures, charts, and questionnaires to guide the practitioner through the process.- J W M

50 Essential M a n a w e n t Tech- niques by Michael Ward. Brookfield, VT: Gower, 1995. 234 pages; $42.95.

Sometimes excellent concepts fail to produce stellar results. Such is the case here. The author, a British consultant, offers 50 tools or management techniques that are, indeed, useful devices for the practicing execu- tive. Three of the tools deal with strategy, three more with decisions. There are five each on managing manufacturing and finance. Three sections on managing numbers cover three basic statistical tools. There are six tools both for managing opera- tions and managing change. The most techniques, eight, cover the management of people. They include motiva- tion, the managerial grid, meeting skills, team formation and team roles, role negotiation, assertiveness, and the Johari window.

Unfortunateiy, the technique se- lection criterion is never explained nor justified. But that is not the worst of the problem. The author too often digresses into illustrative conversa- tions with managers and workshop attendees rather than getting the point at hand solidly made in the brief, three- to four-page sections.

One might expect to find insights into British management thinking since both author and publisher are from the United Kingdom, but such in-

sights are rare. In the sources for the tools-generally one source for each- one finds more American management writers than English. A good index, going beyond a simple listing of the tools, would have strengthened the work.-JWM

ARTICLES Donald W. Calvin, ‘‘Thinking S m a l l in a Large Company,” Research Technology Management, 3 0 5 (September-October 1995), 18-21.

Large companies that compete in a multitude of markets often find themselves positioned against smaller, more nimble, rival companies that specialize in one or a few markets with a limited number of technologies. Many are rediscovering attributes that characterize their smaller rivals and are seeking to restore those characteristics in their own companies.

Generally, the capabilities of large and small companies are quite different. For example, large companies have the financial strength needed to fund troubled business segments with eam- ings from other profitable segments. They have the benefit of strong core capabilities and functions providing specialized expertise in support of the businesses. These include R&D, environmental and government affairs.

Small companies, on the other hand, are admired for their focus. They are viewed as being very customer-oriented and are typically per- ceived as being more flexible and having fewer layers involved in deci- sion making. There may be less mass culture to move when a change in direction seems appropriate.

Large companies want to have the flexibility and focus associated with

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the small company, while maintain- ing their underlying strength of resources. To achieve this, the leveraging of core capabilities across business units shows promise, as does the decentralization of R&D.-RG

Lewis Brown Griggs and Lente- Louis Louw, “Diverse Teams: Breakdown or Breakthrough?” Training G Development, 49:lO (October 1999, 23-29.

A growing number of organizations are turning to diverse teams to achieve the high-performance results they need to remain competitive in the marketplace. But leveraging the potential of a diverse team is tricky. Depending on how they’re managed, such teams can yield terrible head- aches or terrific results. The development of diverse teams falls into a four-phase framework of team development: forming, storming, norming, and performing.

Forming is the initiating of the relationship. At this stage, members’ enthusiasm for the project tends to blind them to potential problems. In the storming phase, conflicts surface. Norming is the phase that forges the team. A high degree of cohesion is needed; however, members still need to preserve their distinctive perspectives. At the performing phase, individual performance improves. Conflicts still arise, but team members have a higher tolerance level for them.

The real challenge for diverse teams is to be able to operate on several different levels: as individuals expressing their unique perspectives; as members of a team cooperating to facilitate the power of the group; as a team focused on the bigger picture-

the organizational goals, objectives, concerns, and needs that the team was created to serve in the first place.- RG

William Keenen, Jr., ed., “Sexual Harassment, a Hands Off Policy?” Sales C Marketing Management, 147:ll (November 1995), 40-41.

Salespeople are especially vul- nerable to nonemployee sexual harassment. While some companies find it easier to sacrifice the complaining party rather than risk losing a lucrative account, this kind of response is inap- propriate and will only increase liability. Not only is the business exposed to a possible sexual harassment suit, it may also face a wrongful discharge suit.

There are steps an employer can take to protect itself: Encourage all employees to report harassment. Cre- ate an atmosphere where employees know its okay to file a complaint. Don’t retaliate against an employee who reports harassment. Dealing with a complaint by firing, demoting, or taking away accounts will only reflect badly on the employer if the case goes to court. Adopt and enforce a policy prohibiting sexual harassment. Infor- mation should be disseminated to all employees, informing them of the policies and procedures to follow if harassment occurs.

Investigate and respond to all harassment claims promptly. Both the courts and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) have noted that employers can be absolved of responsibility for sexual harassment by nonemployees if they take “immediate and appropriate corrective action.”

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The key to minimizing the problem is to recognize that it exists, train employees to recognize different types of harassing behaviors, and take immediate corrective action when it occurs .-RG

Laura M. Litvan, “Preventive Medi- cine,” Nation’s Business, S3:9 (Sep- tember 1995), 32-36.

As employers have sought to curb health care expenses in recent years, they have turned increasingly to wellness programs to encourage their employees to lead healthier lives. Such moves are not always easy. Experi- ence has shown that to reduce health expenditures significantly, companies must target those workers who are most at risk of eventually needing costly medical care. These are often the workers who are most resistant to health-promotion programs.

Larger health claims are higher for smokers, employees with poor eating habits, and those whose weight is 20 percent or more above or below the desirable range for their stature. Con- vincing these groups to participate in health promotion programs is hard, but it can be done with proper planning. One key to successful planning lies in surveying workers to identify health risks and the types of programs that appeal to all employees, both the healthy and the not-so-healthy. But in attempting to encourage participation, companies must be careful not to run afoul of provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A company could increase its liability if it rewards or penalizes workers on the basis of characteristics that stem from a disability. Some ways to help ensure a program reaches all workers: Form

a team of employees to fashion the program, include information inserts in payroll envelopes, negotiate an employee discount at a local health club.-RG

Richard Pawson, Jean-Louis Bravard, and Lorette Cameron, “The Case for Expressive Systems,” S b a n Management Review, 36:2 (Winter 1995), 41-48.

A new kind of information system is emerging that will reduce the time to market, help tailor products and services to customers’ needs, and make processes more responsive to unex- pected events.

Unlike conventional systems, which support only the standard business operating procedures for which they were designed, “expressive” systems allow users to adapt quickly and easily to exceptions from standard operating procedure. But expressive systems are not just simulation tools. They permit the user to execute the action through the same system, whether the result is a new way of routing documents through an ad- ministrative function or a reallocation of work orders between manufacturing plants.

Expressive systems, therefore, change the concept of an application. Applications account for the greater part of the budget, staffing, and management attention of IS departments. What kind of IS department will be needed to implement and/or support the expressive systems model? One that recognizes that implementation is as much about changing the behavior of the IS department as it is about changing the technology. In the expressive systems era, professional

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developers will have evolving roles to play. Some will be deployed in the creation, management, and continuous enhancement of the infrastructure, while others will act as mentors within the application process.-RG

Charlene Marmer Solomon, "Un- lock the Potential of Older Work- ers," PersonnelJournal, 74~10 (Oc- tober 1995), 56-66.

One in eight Americans is older than 65 and by 2030, that figure will rise to 20 percent. Older people are staying in the workforce longer than ever before, thanks in part to technology. The information revolution is creating jobs that are less physically demanding, enabling individuals to work longer and allowing older workers to contribute more to economic growth.

Unfortunately, there are still many barriers to employing mature workers. Today's workplace is not particularly friendly to older people. They suffer earning disparities and are forced into uncomfortable decisions by rigid scheduling structures. Also, many myths and prejudices keep them from the workplace.

Before doing anything else, managers should dispel the myths about productivity, safety, and costs of employing these workers. Companies must also adjust their efforts to attract older employees by considering what they want (flexible working hours, for example).

Steps in managing an aging workforce include: implementing the provisions of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; preventing work- induced stress; using objective performance appraisals; offering well-

designed retraining programs; and implementing alternative work sched- ules.-RG

Florence Stone, "Overcoming Op- position to Organizational Change," Supewisory Manage- ment, 40:lO (October 1995), 9-10.

Today's workplace has undergone significant change-from the extensive use of teams to the introduction of new technologies. Managers are needed who can adapt their own management style and approach and overcome employee resistance to change.

High-value managers are coveted because of the skills, abilities, and attitudes they bring to today's workplace. To minimize staff resistance to change they monitor events within their organization to be prepared for the change; seek change ou t when it can be positive; role-model a positive attitude about change; confront staff feelings; focus on the reasons for the change and the impact it can have on the future of the organization; and give staff a sense of control over the change by involving them in the planning.

As new technology and management styles are introduced into organizations, managers will need to have strong communication skills to build staff support for the changes and strong planning skills to make the changes happen. They will have to be flexible and adaptable, able to change their own style and approach to work successfully with the end products of change efforts.

Employees with high-value managers know that their managers cannot prevent change from happening,



but they believe that their managers can speak for them to be sure that the timetable for change and results ex- pected from the change are realis- tic .-RG

Deborah Tannan, “The Power of Talk: Who Gets Heard and Why,” Haroard Business Review, 735 (September-October 1995), 138- 148.

Communication is not as simple as saying what you mean. How you say what you mean is crucial. Although we might think that our way of saying what we mean is natural, it is, in fact, learned social behavior. Ways of speaking learned in childhood affect judgments of competence and confidence, as well as who gets heard, who gets credit, and what gets done. This carries over into the workplace.

There is no one best way to communicate. The results of a given way

of speaking vary depending on the situation, the culture of the company, the rank of speakers, their linguistic styles, and how those styles interact with one another.

The critical skill for managers is to become aware of the workings and power of linguistic style, to make sure that people with something valuable to say get heard. It might seem that running a meeting in an unstructured way gives equal opportunity to all, but awareness of the differences in conversational style makes it easy to see the potential for unequal access. A manager aware of those dynamics might devise any number of ways of ensuring that everyone’s ideas are heard and credited. Managers who understand the dynamics of linguistic style can develop more adaptive and flexible approaches to running meetings, mentoring or advancing the ca- reer of others, evaluating performance, and so on.-RG 0

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