Management of Organizational Behavior: Leading Human Resources

by Paul Hersey, Kenneth H. Blanchard, Dewey E. Johnson

This is the 10th edition of the Hersey-Blanchard-Johnson text book. It is actually the instructor's copy but contains the same text as the students copy. I used it this past spring for my masters level course in Educational leadership and it worked perfectly.

Genres: Leadership, Management

334 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Paul Hersey was a behavioral scientist and entrepreneur. He was best known for conceiving Situational Leadership. Hersey published Management of Organization Behavior, which is now in its ninth edition.

Reviews

[Barry Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The resources offered in this book are exceptional. The authors present a comprehensive overview of the development of organizational behavior theory. Topics covered include management, leadership, motivation, behavior, and review of the classic motivational theories from the greatest thinkers in the field. Insightful quotes are placed throughout the work, drawn from history, theology, politics, psychology, philosophy, and other perspectives.
The authors employ a large number of graphics, matrices, and visuals to demonstrate and support the topics covered. As rich as these images can be, their complexity can be distracting at times. Summaries and notes are included at the end of the eighteen chapters to review the detail of each as well as provide additional resources.
Key developments in the research of organizational behavior are chronicled and compared, assisting the reader in evaluating the insights for enhancing organizational growth. As the book progresses, the focus is directed to the development of situational leadership approaches, emphasizing the fact that no single approach to leading will always be appropriate.
After reviewing the history of this theory, the book progresses to a detailed presentation and application of Situational Leadership®, originally developed by two of the authors in the late 1960s. This construct provides the framework for the balance of the book, including self-awareness of the leader, power, communication, team building, performance management, decision-making, change management, and organizational transformation. Comparison of Situational Leadership® and other theories is provided. The affinity of this theory to other approaches is emphasized in a manner that shows the practicality of the approach. Detailed examples of its use in varied situations are offered, employing variations of the model to all aspects of organizational behavior.
The authors close this eminently practical work with a synthesis of management theories, demonstrating their integration with Situational Leadership ®. As useful as this approach to organizational behavior is, the book appears to be more of a proponent of this theory than an overview of the topic. However, the authors’ final reflections note that this field must be characterized by continued growth of “knowledge about motivation, leader behavior, and change,” applied to “the effective use of human resources” (Hershey, Blanchard, and Johnson, p. 328). Even with the limitations in the final focus of Management of Organizational Behavior on Situational Leadership®, this work provides significant insights on the topic.

[Mihai Chindris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It shares interesting ideas that large or small companies and organizations can implement within their daily tasks. Offering a step by step guide that includes twelve chapters and three major rules to follow, the user is taught how to share information, make teams more autonomous and how to let people change the hierarchy of the company or organization so that it could prosper and achieve more results. It leads by example, telling the journey of different companies that struggled to fulfill all of the bullet points given to succeed, but in the end, they managed to increase the profit by following the responsibility strategies.

[Barb. D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should definitely be read BEFORE any of the One Minute Manager books. That's where all the research and the theoretical background is.

[Leonardo]

Sobre "Liderazgo Situacional". Citado en el Episodio 2 de la Academia de Datos.

[Adam Springsteen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leadership and individuals go hand in hand. Sadly, leaders forget that they are there to serve and assist others. Instead, they build their own kingdom, forgetting the value of their followers. In Management of Organizational Behavior, Hersey and Blanchard give a roadmap that instructs leaders how to lead better while prioritizing the needs of others so that they may become the best version of themselves. The book builds nicely in the opening chapters, preparing the reader for the Situational Leadership model. Once situational leadership has been discussed, the book tapers off. It does a nice job explaining the application of situational leadership to teamwork and its integration with other models, such as Maslow’s Hierarchy and Herzberg’s Theory of motivation, but this is where the text finds its weakest point. The application is informative, but designed more for being in that situation. For outsiders, those looking in, it becomes a nice theory, but without putting it into practice, the text is a dry read. Thankfully, this was the only weak point of the text. The rest of the book is highly informative, helping me to see areas where I need improvement and even exposing some blind spots. Oftentimes, leaders, including myself, lead from one style of leadership and run it into the ground. It works for most people, but not all, leaving some individuals feeling discarded. Leaders must maintain flexibility and determine where individuals are at, whether that be R1, R2, R3, or R4. Each of these situations requires a different approach by the leader. These are explained as S1, S2, S3, and S4. Instead of seeing individuals as unwilling, incompetent, or lazy, it is better to discuss things with them and observe their behavior. Through careful, intentional observation, a leader can gauge where the individual may be on the Situational Leadership model. From here, the leader can implement the appropriate leadership style and help them move along the scale. Other highlights of the text include how to lead teams effectively and how to deal with change. While some work by employees may be a solo endeavor, teamwork is always a necessity, even if that means seeking out advice or opinions to aid you in a project. Additionally, leaders must know their teams to improve cohesion, thus improving the overall outcome. Change can be frustrating, and many resist it. Knowing how to walk individuals through change is important for a leader. Being open to their ideas and suggestions in the process of change shows both care and concern. Management of Organizational Behavior is an excellent read and an even better resource for leaders seeking to grow and lead effectively. This is one book all leaders should have readily available as they seek to improve themselves, individuals, and the organization they are a part of.