Human Resources - Personnel Management, Competition - Economics, Organizational Behavior - General & Miscellaneous, United States - International Business
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Overview
Competitive Advantage Through People explores why—despite long-standing evidence that a committed work force is essential for success—firms continue to attach little importance to their workers. The answer, argues Pfeffer, resides in a complex web of factors based on perception, history, legislation, and practice that continues to dominate management thought and action. Yet, some organizations have been able to overcome these obstacles. In fact, the five common stocks with the highest returns between 1972 and 1992—Southwest Airlines, Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, Circuit City, and Plenum Publishing—were in industries that shared virtually none of the characteristics traditionally associated with strategic success. What each of these firms did share is the ability to produce sustainable competitive advantage through its way of managing people. Pfeffer documents how they—and others—resisted traditional management pitfalls, and offers frameworks for implementing these changes in any industry.A Library Journal Best Business Book of the Year. "A masterful, riveting performance."—Tom PetersEditorials
Publishers Weekly -
In this notable work, Pfeffer ( Managing with Power ) pierces the ``sacred veil'' of strategic planning theory. Rejecting Michael Porter's acclaimed positions on the overriding significance of competitors, market substitutes, buyers and suppliers, Pfeffer insists that managers cannot rely solely ``on technology, patents, or strategic position.'' Why not? Because ``Product life cycles are shortening and new-product introductions are coming much more rapidly.'' Pfeffer stipulates instead that ``people and how we manage them are becoming more important.'' Expanding on this thesis, he discusses creating detailed procedures for employee training, development and participation in the corporation's life. Augmenting these are considerations of America's labor relations system, total quality management (TQM) procedures and an array of economic principles (specifically, ``transaction cost economics'' and ``presumed efficiency of hierarchy''). Pfeffer, a Stanford Business School professor, has crafted a cogent, impressive business study. (Mar.)Library Journal
Pfeffer brilliantly unravels the social, political, and historical rationalizations that dominate managers' treatment of the work force. After demonstrating how successful firms overcome the counterproductive effects of mismanaging labor, this highly noted author and professor at Stanford University's business school offers practical suggestions for shifting direction, countering resistance, and implementing practices to achieve competitive success through people. A caveat pervades this heavily referenced work: those firms that maintain the delimiting thinking of Frederick Taylor will not succeed. This outstanding work complements Building the Competitive Workforce (Wiley, 1993), edited by Philip H. Mirvis. Highly recommended for business collections, managers, and informed readers.-- J. P. Miller, GSLIS, Simmons Coll., BostonBook Details
Published
January 28, 1995
Publisher
Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business School Press, c1994.
Pages
304
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780875847177