Strategic Management & Organizational Dynamics

by Ralph D. Stacey

The first edition of this book questioned the widely-held view that organisations succeed when they operate in states of stability, harmony and consensus. The author argues that organisations operate in uncertain environments and those which succeed are the ones that create new perspectives and learn from the 'chaos' in which they operate. In the new edition the contents have been restructured so that the first parts focus on 'ordinary management', which can be practised in conditions close to certainty and agreement, while the later parts of the book focus on how innovative organisations develop using the process of 'extraordinary management'.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Research, Nonfiction

544 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1993

Reviews

[Samuel]

Ralph D. Stacey is a good author and this book will surely enlighten me.

[Markus Hornum-stenz]

Stacey is very good, rather hard to digest and somewhat academic in his writing, but sums up well on the blue pages.
Not a book to read cover to cover if you're not used to academic writing. I had to read big passages several times to get some of the larger points.

The critical aspects of systemic thinking makes up the bulk of the book maps well with socialconstructivist thinking a la Foucault, Latour and STS writing in general, but the real boon is his attempt to provide guidelines for dealing with Complex Dynamic Processes.

I'm sure that Staceys work in the area of chaos theory applied to business management will provide a foundation on which we will see much elaboration in the future.

You might want to start up lightly on a few Youtube clips to get the gist of Staceys main points before diving into this book

[Amy]

A very dense but important book - I was recommended it to help with my research in natural resources management. It's incredible how Stacey has come to some important conclusions that have also been found in other ways in my field of study. He also dives into philosophical questions about human autonomy, which is a transferable topic. This isn't a book purely about organisations, it can be applied to much more (e.g. when looking at informal institutions and how local day-to-day interactions shape decision making on a broader scale). It is hard to understand at times, it would be great if Stacey wrote an easier to understand version to make it more accessible. But overall it's a fantastic book that I will go back to again and again.

[Boo Barr]

These books changed my life. Realised why my previous practice was doomed to failure. Gave me a radically different way to 'do' management, seeing an organisation as a network of communicating and responding humans. It worked in my own business and I taught it to others and it works there too. Happy owners and happier workers.
But the book is really dense. Sadly we are unlikely to see CRPR For Dummies. Stacey has retired and doing other things now.

[Steen Sørensen]

This is a book to read - not to learn how to make strategy, but to understand the why's in strategy and the strategy process.

[Chikezie Waturuocha]

Tough book to comprehend

[Nathanial Hutchinson]

Really enjoyed this book, it uses lots of real life examples to explain complicated theories. A must read for anyone with an interest in management.