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Management and ministry—Appreciating contemporary issues
TERRYL. ANDERSON, and PETERJ. HILL, Rowman & Littlefield (1996), 270 pp., E21.95. Pity the approach of the first book was not more widely recognized by the authors in the latter.
Foundations of Future Studies: Human Science for a New Age, Volume 1, History, Purpose and Knowledge, WENDELLBELL, Transaction Publishers (1997), 365 pp., E39.95. Aims to: 1. show that future studies exists as an identifiable coherent sphere of intellectual activity; 2. provide a basic teaching text for core courses in future studies; 3. provide a future focus for the thinking of other specialists disciplines; 4. contribute to the development of the subject itself; 5. help those concerned with the future to improve the quality of the decisiontaking in this critical area. Commendable objectives and a most impressive volume by a well respected authority. Other views of the future (14 leading thinkers) are contained in Rethinking the Future, edited by ROWAN GIBSON, Nicholas Brealey (1996), 276 p., fZ16.99.
More information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 5000. The total of all printed knowledge doubles every five years. But are we any the wiser? How can we improve this situation? Information overload is a very real problem. Two reports that attempt to help in this challenging area are: Dying for Information: an Investigation into the Effects of Information Overload in the UK and World-wide, DAVID LEWIS, Reuters’ Ltd (1996) 56 PP.9 E40.00 (the information was obtained from managers at all levels and from Singapore, Hong Kong, USA and Australia, as well as the UK). And Information as an Asset: the Invisible Goldmine, Reuters’ (1995), 29 pp., E30.00 (a report exploring the current and future value of information in business). One useful (and brave?) attempt to outline a vision of a global electronic village, together with its potential applications and implications for a New Information Civilization in the 21st century, is Global Information Infrastructure: the Birth, Vision and Book Reviews and Review Briefs
Architecture, ANDREWS. TOARGOWSKI, stadt, looks at the high level of quality Idea Group Publishing (1996), 383 pp., demanded by the automotive industry $59.95. from its suppliers, and is reported in Quality Pays, McKinsey & Co, Macmillan Business (1996), 256 pp., E25.00. Management and Ministry-Appreciating Contemporary Issues, edited by JOHN NELSON, The Canterbury Press (published for MODEM) (1996), 242 pp., El1.95. Published for MODEM who aims to set the agenda for management/ministry issues so that those engaged in the management of secular and church organizations will be mutually recognized and respected.
Project Risk Management: Processes, Techniques and Insights, CHRISCHAPMANand STEPHENWARD,Wiley (1%X’), E24.95.
Emphasizes the growing need for a generic methodology employing a systematic approach to project risk management and to set the discussion firmly in the context of the project management task as a whole, with a view to improving project performance. Essential reading for those involved in the Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence, and Growth, Edited by JER- critical, and risky, activity of project OME A. KATZ and ROBERT H. BROCK- risk management. But pity little attention to the subject of learning. A HAUS SR, JAI Press (1993), 236 pp., deficiency discussed in detail in Design E47.00. for Learning for Innovation: Project Management for New Development, Five papers that consider detailed acaKARENAYAS,Eburon Publishers (1996), demic research on the subject in such areas as ‘Demographic Approaches to 245 pp. Entrepreneurship: The Role of Experience and Background’ and ‘Demographic Variables in Entrepreneurship Research.’ Another selection of (15), essentially academic, papers in EduVirtual Individuals, Virtual Groups: cating Entrepreneurs in Modernising Human Dimensions of Groupware and edited by PETER ROSA, Computer Networking, Jo ANN ORVEC, Economics, MICHAELG. SCOTT and HEINZKLANDT, Cambridge University Press (1996), 389 Avebury (1996), 196 pp., E32.50 (from pp., E35.00. the 4th Internationalizing Entrepreneurship Education and Training Provides a perspective on the social conference at Sterling University, July dimensions of computing applications 1994, useful bibliography but no (such as Groupware) that are shaping index). A view of corporate develour culture. A somewhat academic opment from the other side of the fence approach that would have benefited (i.e. an investors perspective) is disfrom a more strategic/managerial focus. cussed in Beyond the ZULU Principle: More practically driven (and readable) Extraordinary Profits from growth ways of organizing networks is Shares, JIM SLATER,Orion (1996), 212 revealed in The Age of the Network: pp., E19.99. A large scale research Organizing Principles for the 2lst Cenproject, conducted by McKinsey & tury, JESSICA LIPNACK and JEFFREY Company into the electronics industry, STAMPS,Wiley (1996), 264 pp., E12.99 found that the best companies and by two Swiss authors, The New employed similar innovative manWave in Information Technology: What agement techniques and these are it Means for Business, HEINRICHSTEdescribed in Shrink to Grow: Lessons INMANNand DIMITRIS N. CHORAFAS, from Innovation and Productivity in Cassell (1996), 330 pp., El8.99. Anothe Electronics Industry, McKinsey & ther dimension is considered in Ofice Co, Macmillan Business (1996), 200 Development and Capital Accumupp., f30.00. Another valuable study lation in the UK, LUTZLUITHLEN, Avebconducted by McKinsey & Company ury (1994), 294 pp., 635.00 (a doctoral and the Technical University of Dorm- thesis submitted in Spring 1991, useful
Foundations of Future Studies: Human Science for a New Age, Volume 1, History, Purpose and Knowledge, WENDELLBELL, Transaction Publishers (1997), 365 pp., E39.95. Aims to: 1. show that future studies exists as an identifiable coherent sphere of intellectual activity; 2. provide a basic teaching text for core courses in future studies; 3. provide a future focus for the thinking of other specialists disciplines; 4. contribute to the development of the subject itself; 5. help those concerned with the future to improve the quality of the decisiontaking in this critical area. Commendable objectives and a most impressive volume by a well respected authority. Other views of the future (14 leading thinkers) are contained in Rethinking the Future, edited by ROWAN GIBSON, Nicholas Brealey (1996), 276 p., fZ16.99.
More information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 5000. The total of all printed knowledge doubles every five years. But are we any the wiser? How can we improve this situation? Information overload is a very real problem. Two reports that attempt to help in this challenging area are: Dying for Information: an Investigation into the Effects of Information Overload in the UK and World-wide, DAVID LEWIS, Reuters’ Ltd (1996) 56 PP.9 E40.00 (the information was obtained from managers at all levels and from Singapore, Hong Kong, USA and Australia, as well as the UK). And Information as an Asset: the Invisible Goldmine, Reuters’ (1995), 29 pp., E30.00 (a report exploring the current and future value of information in business). One useful (and brave?) attempt to outline a vision of a global electronic village, together with its potential applications and implications for a New Information Civilization in the 21st century, is Global Information Infrastructure: the Birth, Vision and Book Reviews and Review Briefs
Architecture, ANDREWS. TOARGOWSKI, stadt, looks at the high level of quality Idea Group Publishing (1996), 383 pp., demanded by the automotive industry $59.95. from its suppliers, and is reported in Quality Pays, McKinsey & Co, Macmillan Business (1996), 256 pp., E25.00. Management and Ministry-Appreciating Contemporary Issues, edited by JOHN NELSON, The Canterbury Press (published for MODEM) (1996), 242 pp., El1.95. Published for MODEM who aims to set the agenda for management/ministry issues so that those engaged in the management of secular and church organizations will be mutually recognized and respected.
Project Risk Management: Processes, Techniques and Insights, CHRISCHAPMANand STEPHENWARD,Wiley (1%X’), E24.95.
Emphasizes the growing need for a generic methodology employing a systematic approach to project risk management and to set the discussion firmly in the context of the project management task as a whole, with a view to improving project performance. Essential reading for those involved in the Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence, and Growth, Edited by JER- critical, and risky, activity of project OME A. KATZ and ROBERT H. BROCK- risk management. But pity little attention to the subject of learning. A HAUS SR, JAI Press (1993), 236 pp., deficiency discussed in detail in Design E47.00. for Learning for Innovation: Project Management for New Development, Five papers that consider detailed acaKARENAYAS,Eburon Publishers (1996), demic research on the subject in such areas as ‘Demographic Approaches to 245 pp. Entrepreneurship: The Role of Experience and Background’ and ‘Demographic Variables in Entrepreneurship Research.’ Another selection of (15), essentially academic, papers in EduVirtual Individuals, Virtual Groups: cating Entrepreneurs in Modernising Human Dimensions of Groupware and edited by PETER ROSA, Computer Networking, Jo ANN ORVEC, Economics, MICHAELG. SCOTT and HEINZKLANDT, Cambridge University Press (1996), 389 Avebury (1996), 196 pp., E32.50 (from pp., E35.00. the 4th Internationalizing Entrepreneurship Education and Training Provides a perspective on the social conference at Sterling University, July dimensions of computing applications 1994, useful bibliography but no (such as Groupware) that are shaping index). A view of corporate develour culture. A somewhat academic opment from the other side of the fence approach that would have benefited (i.e. an investors perspective) is disfrom a more strategic/managerial focus. cussed in Beyond the ZULU Principle: More practically driven (and readable) Extraordinary Profits from growth ways of organizing networks is Shares, JIM SLATER,Orion (1996), 212 revealed in The Age of the Network: pp., E19.99. A large scale research Organizing Principles for the 2lst Cenproject, conducted by McKinsey & tury, JESSICA LIPNACK and JEFFREY Company into the electronics industry, STAMPS,Wiley (1996), 264 pp., E12.99 found that the best companies and by two Swiss authors, The New employed similar innovative manWave in Information Technology: What agement techniques and these are it Means for Business, HEINRICHSTEdescribed in Shrink to Grow: Lessons INMANNand DIMITRIS N. CHORAFAS, from Innovation and Productivity in Cassell (1996), 330 pp., El8.99. Anothe Electronics Industry, McKinsey & ther dimension is considered in Ofice Co, Macmillan Business (1996), 200 Development and Capital Accumupp., f30.00. Another valuable study lation in the UK, LUTZLUITHLEN, Avebconducted by McKinsey & Company ury (1994), 294 pp., 635.00 (a doctoral and the Technical University of Dorm- thesis submitted in Spring 1991, useful