Beyond the Hype

Summary: Beyond the Hype is a groundbreaking attempt to go beyond the verbiage plaguing today's manager to understand how things actually get done in organizations. Instead of focusing on panaceas for revitalizing companies, the authors concentrate on the very essence of what managers do: mobilizing action in organizations. Rather than prescribe a specific managerial framework, they propose a new way of thinking--an action pe...rspective--that emphasizes the judgment of the individual manager in determining what course of action to take. The action perspective has three components: action, identity, & rhetoric. By action, the authors mean a manager's ability to accomplish short-term objectives while preserving long-term flexibility. Equally important is the manager's judgment in dealing with individual or group identities--identities that must be understood to successfully motivate people. The third component, rhetoric, stresses the importance of language, both oral & written, in persuading people to do things. Good management evolves from making words meaningful by connecting them to action. [read more]