Symbolic Management

The theory of symbolic management reveals a pervasive pattern of 'symbolic decoupling' - a separation between appearances and reality - at every level of the governance system. At each level the processes of governance are less efficient or effective than they appear; from interpersonal relations within organizations such as those between CEOs and directors, top managers and lower-level employees, to relations between firm leaders and external stakeholders such as journalists and security analysts. There is even a separation between appearances and reality at the level of the governance system itself. In this book, James Westphal and Sun Hyun Park develop symbolic management into a major theoretical perspective on governance. Not only does symbolic management provide a compelling behavioral alternative to economic perspectives such as agency theory, but it subsumes economic theory. Agency theory is reconceived as a historically contingent institutional logic that became taken for granted among corporate stakeholders for a period of time and eventually replaced by a new logic of governance. Through a body of extensive empirical research Westphal and Park demonstrate how the symbolic management activities of firm leaders have contributed to this historical shift in prevailing logics of governance, and present a warning to regulators, investors, and the general public.

The theory of symbolic management reveals a pervasive pattern of 'symbolic decoupling' - a separation between appearances and reality - at every level of the governance system. At each level the processes of governance are less efficient or effective than they appear; from interpersonal relations within organizations such as those between CEOs and directors, top managers and lower-level employees, to relations between firm leaders and external stakeholders such as journalists and security analysts. There is even a separation between appearances and reality at the level of the governance system itself. In this book, James Westphal and Sun Hyun Park develop symbolic management into a major theoretical perspective on governance. Not only does symbolic management provide a compelling behavioral alternative to economic perspectives such as agency theory, but it subsumes economic theory. Agency theory is reconceived as a historically contingent institutional logic that became taken for granted among corporate stakeholders for a period of time and eventually replaced by a new logic of governance. Through a body of extensive empirical research Westphal and Park demonstrate how the symbolic management activities of firm leaders have contributed to this historical shift in prevailing logics of governance, and present a warning to regulators, investors, and the general public.

The fourth edition of this popular text has been throughly updated, continuing its strong emphasis on the importance of the Asian region to contemporary Australian and New Zealand organistations. Many Asian case examples are featured to illustrate key management concepts. Joining the author team for this edition and enhancing this edition's critical analysis of management theory and applications are the best-selling authors from another of Wiley's undergraduate introductory management texts - Management: Core Concepts and Applications, 2nd Australasian edition (Davidson et al.). This new edition also discusses the impact of recent events such as the global financial crisis on the management of organisations, both during the crisis and in its aftermath. Of course, Management, 4th Asia- Pacific edition also retains the features that made it so popular with students and lecturers in the earlier editions: a balanced coverage of small to medium-sized enterprises and larger multinational corporations an emphasis on the need for business activities to be sustainable in terms of preserving the welfare of future generations the Career Readiness Workbook at the end of the book, which includes a range of indiviual and group activities to encourage the practical applications of management theory. Wtih its clear insights into dynamics of management in the workplace of today and the future, Mangement, 4th Asia-Pacific edition provides a sound basis for the contemporary undergraduate study of introductory management.

Managemet : Foundations and Applications, 1st Asia - Pacific edition is a more concise version of the popular text Management, 4th Asia - Pacific adition, which is also published by Wiley. The 15 chapters of this edition cover key topics typically taught in a 12- or 13- week teaching semester. Joining the autohr team and enhancing this editions's critical analysis of mamangement theory and applications are the best-selling authors from another of the Wiley's undergraduate introductory management texts - Management: Core Concepts and Applications, 2nd Australasian edition ( Davidson et al.). This text has a strong emphasis on the importance of the Asian region to contemporary Australian and New Zealand organistations, both during the crisis and in its aftermath. Of course, Management: Foundations and Applications, 1st Asia- Pacific edition also retains the features that make its larger 'parent' text so popular with students and lecturers: A balanced coverage of small to medium-sized enterprises and larger multinational corporations an emphasis on the need for business activities to be sustainable in the terms of preserving the wealfare of future generations the Career Readliness Workbook at the end of the book, which includes a range of individual and group activities to encourage the practical application of management theory. With its clear insights into the dynamics of management in the workplace of today and future, Management: Foundations and Apllications,1st Asia - Pacific edition provides a sound babsis for the contemporary undergraduate study of introductory management.

Exploring the newly emerging field of the management of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) working in developing countries, this informative book draws upon current research in non-profit management, development administration and business management. Key issues covered include: * the changing global and local contexts of development co-operation * management technologies such as empowerment and stakeholder analysis * structural issues such as accountability, governance and participation * learning and diversity * dealing with complexity and uncertainty. Illustrated throughout with examples drawn from the author's own research and consultancy experience, this important text develops a model of NGO management which reveals the distinctive organizational challenges they face.

`The authors bring a spark of vitality and life to an area that could be cynically viewed as a series of conflicting fads and fashions....I would recommend anyone in the process of reviewing or designing an entrepreneurship development course to consider the benefits that this book would bring to the teaching process′ - Entrepreneurship and Innovation `Using fiction in the classroom as an approach to stimulating the study of people in organizations is well-established. What this book contributes is a way of exploring some of the existential elements of life in organizations, which are typically difficult to study. It will be on my reading lists. Hopefully, this example, and regrettably few others which exist, will contribute in the long term to the reformulation of how the lived experience of organizational life may be explored in the classroom′ - Leadership & Organization Development Journal Based on courses taught by the authors over many years, this innovative text is a lively and accessible analysis of people at work and the problems they have to confront. The student is introduced to a range of key themes in management such as: power and identity; consumption and bureaucracy; rational choice and meaning all through the medium of characters and situations in contemporary literature. The clear theoretical framework, supported by footnotes, summaries and further reading guides, makes this an introduction to management the student will find useful as well as enjoyable.

One of the prime purposes of accounting is to communicate and yet, to date, this fundamental aspect of the discipline has received relatively little attention. The Routledge Companion to Accounting Communication represents the first collection of contributions to focus on the power of communication in accounting. The chapters have a shared aim of addressing the misconception that accounting is a purely technical, number-based discipline by highlighting the use of narrative, visual and technological methods to communicate accounting information. The contents comprise a mixture of reflective overview, stinging critique, technological exposition, clinical analysis and practical advice on topical areas of interest such as: The miscommunication that preceded the global financial crisis The failure of sustainability reporting The development of XBRL How to cut clutter With an international coterie of contributors, including a communication theorist, a Big Four practitioner and accounting academics, this volume provides an eclectic array of expert analysis and reflection. The contributors reveal how accounting communications represent, or misrepresent, the financial affairs of entities, thus presenting a state-of-the-art assessment on each of the main facets of this important topic. As such, this book will be of interest to a wide range of readers, including: postgraduate students in management and accounting; established researchers in the fields of both accounting and communications; and accounting practitioners.

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