University of South Florida (USF) M3 Publishing

Readings in management

Isaam Ghazzawi, University of La VerneFollow
Muharrem Tuna, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli UniversityFollow
Aysegul Acar, Karabuk UniversityFollow

Abstract

PREFACE

One reality any academic book on management faces is that events in the real world are constantly changing, and rapidly at that. What is different about this book is its commitment to capture the fundamentals of management. In publishing Readings in Management, the editors recognize the enormous role played by the internet, academic and non-academic journals, and other academic publications in providing up-to-date educational information regarding a broad spectrum of management. What is special about this book is the fact that it ensures the material presented is relevant to readers.

This book examines current topics in management and its applications in an intercultural context. It includes subjects that are crucial for management practitioners and students in the field of management. Topics covered in this book include: Benchmarking, decision making, stress and coping with stress, organizational learning, diversity management, crisis management, conflict management, time management, outsourcing, groups and teams in organizations, and paradoxical leadership behaviors.

Each chapter of the book begins with a case study that focuses on the necessity for that specific topic. Subsequently, students and practitioners will be introduced to the concept that addresses the "why, what, and how" regarding the specific managerial topic. Finally, a summary of the specific topic will be provided and followed by a relevant case study, helpful internet sites, and important definitions of terms.

Chapter One focuses on benchmarking with the aim to bridge a performance gap and achieve leadership position. As the author states, "successful benchmarking leads to improvements as well as positive results in quality and efficiency while encouraging a learning culture, which is the key to constant long-term quality improvement and competitiveness".

Chapter Two explores the topic of decision making and its significance to management and organizations. The author stresses the fact that "there is a strong relation between the continuity of the business and decisions made by employees at the position of manager. The most important task of the managers is decision making".

The author of Chapter Three introduces us to an important managerial challenge facing managers, employees, and organizations in stress and coping with stress. To perform stress management effectively, initially, the causes of stress should be known. Additionally, this chapter introduces stress factors, consequences of stress, and stress management methods.

Chapter Four explains the subject of organizational learning and its importance to create a learning organization. The author suggests that to survive, "organizations should be able to respond directly to changes and developments in their environment. For this reason, the information to be acquired because of the combination of all resources should be processed and used where necessary".

Chapter Five explores a fundamental topic facing management and organization in diversity. It focuses on the emphasis on tolerance, mutual understanding, effective communication, and respect for all.

Chapter Six introduces the topic of crisis management and its relevance to today's organizations, emphasizing the fact that they should develop and implement strategies to counteract the crises.

Chapter seven discusses the subject of conflict with its negative and positive aspects. Additionally, it provides various conflict resolutions that managers and organizations can utilize.

The focus of Chapter Eight is time management. The author sums it beautifully by stating that "good time management is the most effective way of organizing, planning, setting priorities, effective transfer, and reducing stressful situations".

Chapter Nine's emphasis is on outsourcing. Today's organizations are focusing on efficiency in connection to "speed, flexibility, and adapting to environmental conditions". According to the author, "these three factors transform organizations into high-mobility units, and they establish functional structure on the market. Outsourcing is a managerial strategy that helps organizations gain a professional human resources potential and to build relationships with the environment on the basis of mutual productivity".

Groups and teams are the focus of Chapter Ten. The emphasis of this chapter is on the understanding of group dynamics and their influence on individual and organizational functioning. It also explores teams and special kinds of groups as well as their purpose and importance in today's organizations.

Chapter Eleven covers the introduction and theoretical discussion of paradoxical leadership behaviors. The author noted that, when the concept of paradox is defined in the literature, it is seen that researchers commonly use the concepts of "opposite", "independent" and "simultaneous". The author defines paradoxical leadership as one that "involves the simultaneous management of contrasting demands encountered within the organizational area".

Finally, the book is concluded with Chapter Twelve that emphasize Intellectual Capital. Intellectual capital is a critical concept in contemporary business regardless of the industry. After the industrial revolution, business styles are constantly changing, and the result is the supremacy of intelligence over brute force. Then, currently, robotics and artificial intelligence are changing the scene. Intellectual capital has become a key competitive tool for firms in today's business environment.

Editors

Issam A. Ghazzawi, Ph.D., Professor of Management, University of La Verne, California, USA
Muharrem Tuna, Ph.D., Professor of Tourism, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey
Aysegul Acar, Ph.D., Doctor of Tourism Management, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Turkey

ISBN: 978-1-7321275-6-2

DOI

10.5038/9781732127562

Recommended Citation

Author, A., Author, B., & Author, C. (2020). Title of the chapter. In I. Ghazzawi, M. Tuna, & A. Acar (Eds.), Readings in management (pp. XX–XX). USF M3 Publishing. https://www.doi.org/10.5038/9781732127562