Management, 12th Edition

Book Preface

From the beautiful cover of this book to the realities of organizations today, great accomplishments are much like inspired works of art. Whether one is talking about arranging objects or bringing together people and other resources in organizational systems, it is a balancing act. But the results are spectacular when goals and talent combine to create a lasting and positive impact.
Just as artists fi nd inspiration in all the senses that bring our world to life, manag-ers fi nd inspiration in daily experiences, from the insights of management scholars, through relationships with other people, and among the goals that guide organiza-tions in an ever more demanding society. And like artists, managers must master many challenges as they strive to create the future from the resources of the present.
While a beautiful formation of feathers, wood, and stones in the cover art shows balance and harmony in a visual masterpiece, a well-managed workplace can build, mix, and integrate all the beauties of human talent to achieve great things. Th is capacity for positive impact is the goal bound into the pages of Management 12e. It is an opportunity to gain knowledge, fi nd inspiration, and learn practices that can help build the organizations we need to forge a better world.
Management 12e Philosophy
Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders and managers. Th ey are our hope for the future. When well prepared, they can be major contributors during this time of so-cial transformation. But the workplace is rapidly changing, and so too must our teaching and learning environments change from the comforts and successes of days gone by. New values and management approaches are appearing; organiza-tions are changing forms and practices; jobs are being redefi ned and relocated; the age of information is a major force in our lives; and the intricacies of globalization are presenting major organizational and economic challenges.
Management 12e is designed for this new world of work. It is crafted to help stu-dents not just explore the essentials of the management discipline, but also to dis-cover their true potential and accept personal responsibilities for developing use-ful career skills. Th e content, pedagogy, and features of this edition were carefully blended to support management educators who want their courses to:

• enhance our students’ career readiness;
• make our students more attractive as intern and job candidates;

• improve our students’ confidence in critical thinking;
• raise our students’ awareness of timely social and organizational issues;
• inspire our students to embrace life-long learning for career success.

Management 12e Pedagogy
The pedagogical foundations of Management 12e are based on four constructive bal-ances that are essential to higher education for business and management.

• The balance of research insights with formative education. As educators we must be willing to make choices when bringing the theories and concepts of our discipline to the attention of the introductory student. We cannot do every-thing in one course. Th e goal should be to make good content choices that set the best possible foundations for lifelong learning.
• The balance of management theory with management practice. As educators we must understand the compelling needs of students to learn and appreci-ate the applications of the material they are reading and thinking about. We must continually bring to their attention good, interesting, and recognizable examples.
• The balance of present understandings with future possibilities. As educators we must continually search for the directions in which the real world of man-agement is heading. We must select and present materials that can both point students in the right directions and help them develop the confidence and self-respect needed to best pursue them.
• The balance of what “can” be done with what is, purely and simply, the “right” thing to do. As educators we are role models; we set the examples. We must be willing to take stands on issues such as managerial ethics and social respon-sibility. We must be careful not to let the concept of “contingency” betray the need for positive “action” and “accountability” in managerial practice.

Today, more than ever before, our students have pressing needs for direction as well as suggestion. They have needs for application as well as information. They have needs for integration as well as presentation. And they have needs for confidence built upon solid understanding. Our instructional approaches and materials must deliver on all of these dimensions and more. My goal is to put into your hands and into those of your students a learning resource that can help meet these needs. Management 12e and its supporting online resources are my contributions to the future careers of your students and mine.