The Work of Managers

Managers are significant actors in contemporary organizations and yet there is very little deep-level analysis of what managers do and how they understand their managerial selves and social situations. Instead of evaluating management techniques according to their internal logic and systematic qualities this book advances the ''practice perspective'' using behaviour and activities of successful experienced and skilled managers as the primary data for theorizing good management this book academics review classic literature on managerial work discuss methodological and theoretical approaches and present empirical studies on various kinds of managers at different levels of organizations in different roles and different sectors from construction site managers and CEOs of large companies to university vice chancellors and front-line health care managers. It makes the case for studies of managerial work that look beyond the rational and ordered world to the challenges presented by inter alia work and information overload complexity performance pressures unintended consequences and irreconcilable expectations.