Böcker av Mary E. Guy

Although much has been written about how organizations renew themselves, little attention has been given to why they go into decline. Mary Guy's groundbreaking new study looks at both sides of the issue, first analyzing the symptoms of and reasons for organizational decline, and then exploring the requirements for renewal. Drawing upon her own original research and a detailed examination of case studies in both the public and private sector, Guy takes as her conceptual framework the theories that have informed organizational development research. She traces the decline-followed-by-renewal process, proposing an integrated model of organizational decline that includes certain identifiable stages of health and resilience common to all organizations in turmoil.Guy's analytical framework can be effectively used to pinpoint the position of any organization--large or small, public or private, old or new. She explains how people behave in organizations under stress and outlines the enduring characteristics of organizations in the decline and renewal stages. Numerous examples illustrate the actual process of decline and renewal in real-world settings--small businesses, large corporations, hospitals, schools, voluntary agencies, and government agencies, including the Johnson White House during the Vietnam War. An entire chapter is devoted to tracing the path of decline within NASA's manned space flight program and looking toward its future. Students of organizational development and management theory will find here important new insights into the dynamics of organizational decline and the period of renewed vigor that often follows.

Most public service jobs require interpersonal contact that is either face-to-face or voice-to-voice. This book focuses on this emotional labor and what it takes to perform it. It contains stories from the trenches gleaned through interviews, focus groups, and survey data.

Discusses and compares men's and women's career patterns in state government. It is based upon newly conducted original research surveys in six states, and generalizations are made concerning commonalities and differences between men's and women's experiences in public administration.

This book takes a new approach to ethics by focusing on the kinds of dilemmas that confront people almost daily on the job. The author's unique contribution is to meld philosophy with everyday decisionmaking, offering the reader a common sense approach to making ethical decisions. Mary Guy introduces ten core values which surround ethical dilemmas, demonstrating the way in which personnel can sensitize themselves to the values involved in a problem and reach a solution which maximizes the important values. Real-life case examples illustrate ethical dilemmas that involve personnel practices, organizing strategies, reporting functions, supervisory practices, whistleblowing, and more. Throughout, the author emphasizes the kinds of concerns which confront the vast majority of employees--from ambitious entry-level personnel to top executives. Realistic in tone, the discussion acknowledges the inevitable need to make compromises, showing how to optimize ethical values situations that arise on the job and for which no formal rules exist.In her introductory chapter, Guy defines ethics, clarifies the relationship between ethical behavior and morality, and presents the ten guiding values that serve as the foundation for ethical decisions. Turning to a focus on decisionmaking, she explores such issues as the theoretical framework for rational decisionmaking, rational decisionmaking in real life, the application of ethical analysis to decisionmaking, and the definition of ethical decisionmaking. The four subsequent chapters present case studies of problems that personnel commonly encounter. In each case, Guy examines the ethical issues involved, applies various scenarios for reaching an ethical decision, and demonstrates the tension that exists among ethical decisionmaking, coping with daily exigencies, and accommodating the preferences of stakeholders. The concluding chapter summarizes the relationship between ethics and decisionmaking and offers a prescription for ensuring ethical decisionmaking throughout the organization. Must reading for managers in business, government, and not-for-profit organizations, this book is also an excellent supplemental text for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses in business and public administration.

Organization theories have given only brief attention to the role of professionals in the workplace. She also found that many professionals within an organization had as much in common with staff from other disciplines as they had with professional colleagues.