Public Management
PA 740
Fall 2009
Style Sheet for
Management Book Assignments
20% of grade
Due Nov. 21
Please bring a hard copy to class
On Reading Management Books
Premise- Professionals in Public Administration are often influenced by
the appearance of management books – even when these
books focus primarily on corporate enterprise, and
increasingly global business. While there are still significant divides between
private and public sector organizational strategy,
objectives, and processes—corporate practice has always
affected public sector practice.
Another dimension of this private – public sector
management interaction may be seen in the incorporation
of management fads by governments. Over the past 3
decades, major business management movements and
technology– driven by consulting firms who have taken a larger interest in
government consulting work – such
as MBO, TQM, BSC, BPR, SCM and others have left
their imprint on governments as they have tried
to emulate business best practices.
Purpose
This assignment asks you
as a student of public management (and possibly already an employee)
to read and gauge
the applicability of emerging ideas in management. Six
books have been selected for the reading list- You are
asked to read one of these books and
put together a critical assessment of the main ideas
presented. You are to review its applicability for government
managers, and address
the question of futuring. In other words, are their
lessons for future career executives, like yourself,
regarding what they need to be thinking about over
the next 2-3 years and
the decade ahead?
The book list has been chosen to
include only recent books (those published no earlier than 2008;
i.e.,
currency is critical. In terms of
general subject and themes. The books include diverse fields: economic history,
environmental strategy, organizational dynamics, strategy and innovation, and
management development. The list is intentionally broad to give
students an opportunity to chose a
work (or author) that appeals.
Format-
The review should be no more than 3 pages. No other
references are required. You may quote from your book of
choice- but for every word of quotation- you are expected to have 2 words of
your own “explanation” of the issue in reference.
The page number of the quote should be specified.
Your review should address
the following three core questions,
and conclude with a personal recommendation – i.e did
you like the book well enough to
recommend it to a colleague
and why
or why not? Address these questions in a narrative
style--not question & answer format.
Core Question 1 – Every management book has (or should
have) a big idea about
addressing problems. What is the
big idea is
in this work; that is, what it is intended to do, and
what is your assessment of the significance of the problem or set of problems
being addressed?
Core Question 2- How applicable
is the big
idea to
government organizations and
managers and
their current or
future environment? Did you learn anything new in
thinking about management problems from this book?
Core Question 3 – What does the author(s) think about
the future? Should
government managers be concerned
about the problem the book
addresses even if the solution (the
big idea) is
unlikely to be applied in government?
Final Review – Would you recommend the book
to a colleague? Why or why not?
Ferguson,
Niall. The Ascent of History:
A Financial History of the World. Penguin Press
(2008)
Wageman,
Ruth, et. al
Senior Leadership Teams:
What it Takes to Make Them Great,
Harvard Business School Press
(2008)
Werbach, Adam. Strategy for Sustainability: A Business Manifesto. Harvard Business Press (2009)
Prahalad, C.K. and M.S. Krishnan. The New Age of Innovation: Driving Co-Created Value Through Global Networks. McGraw Hill (2008)
O'Connor, Gina C. et. al. Grabbing Lightning: Building a Capability for Breakthrough Innovation. Jossey Bass (2008)
Stewart, Matthew. The Management Myth: Why the Experts Keep Getting it Wrong. W.W. Norton (2009)