JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Vol. 9,379-384 (1988)

Book Reviews

Organization Analysis and Development Iain L. Mangham (Ed.), Wiley, Chichester, 1987, No. of pages: 269.

Prepare yourself to spend long hours contemplating complex theoretical issues when delving into Organization Analysis and Development. The book catches you by surprise. The title suggests a book on organization development. Knowledge of the editor reinforces this expectation. lain L. Mangham is Professor of Management Development and Director of the Centre for the Study of Organizational Change and Development at the University of Bath. He has excellent credentials in the field of organization change and is the author of numerous books and articles. The subtitle of the book, ‘A social construction of organizational behavior’ suggests a different avenue of thought. The mystery of what the book is about takes on another dimension when confronted by the somewhat irreverent comments made by the editor in the Introduction. ‘This collection of essays has no theme and little or no coherence; the authors for the most part do not know each other and have shown little interest in each other’s work’. ‘My purpose in putting them together is straightforward: I wish to give offense’. ‘I have anticipated your early departure, your anxiety to be elsewhere, and consider it no great loss. Others, more naive, will stick it out to the last page (the final curtain) and leave with mixed thoughts and emotions’.

Perhaps the background information will lend some insight into the flavor of the book and the difficulty of preparing a review. I would characterize the book as a collection of thought-provoking, theoretical as opposed to pragmatic, organization behavior oriented articles that would likely appear in an academic journal. Readers prepared to wrestle with such issues as contextualism versus the new orthodoxy proclaimed by Karl Weick and his followers, or the pathos of bureaucracy, will enjoy the intellectual challenge of Organization Analysis and Development. Those interested in application will need to look elsewhere with the possible exception of an article by Michael Saren on the role of strategy in technological innovation. Other articles explore the topics of action research, meeting talk, the role of argument in contributing to influence and change in organizational life, understanding organizations from an interpersonal interaction perspective, the realities of problem-solving , a social critical practice for addressing questions of meaning in organizational analysis, and an extension of Erving Goffman’s concept of ‘frame’ into a new concept called ‘ritual realm’ (that frame in which a person may achieve his or her maximum social importance).

In reflecting on the contents of the book, it is a book of contrasts. For example, the editor begins by using a shock effect to tease, tantalize, insult, and stimulate the reader into thinking he or she is about to enter a world of controversy that will challenge traditional thinking. However, the remainder of the book seems quite tame. While a number of thought-provoking ideas are explored, only a few present a formidable challenge to traditional thinking.

In defining the audience for Organization Analysis and Development, the editor states in the Preface, ‘The major audience, however, is those who delight in the title of academic, be they teachers or researchers. As I propose in the introduction, they will find a great deal in this volume to delight and/or to infuriate them’. This statement by the editor could perhaps be expanded to suggest that Organization Analysis and Development

0 1988 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

380 BOOK REVIEWS

would be best suited for graduate level (preferably doctorate level) OB courses designed to immerse participants in exploring theoretical issues in organizational dynamics.

DON WARRICK University of Colorado at

Colorado Springs, U. S. A .

Recruiting, Training, and Retaining New Employees Jack J. Phillips, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, California, 1987. No. of pages: xxii + 324.

Jack J. Phillips is manager of human resources and administration at Vulcan Materials Company, a Fortune 500 company, and has more than 20 years’ experience in human resources. In his preface, Phillips states that the book ‘will be useful to human resource professionals in any organization that recruits new college graduates for entry-level professional, technical, and supervisory positions’. The book presents a functional approach to the transition process whereby college recruits enter an organization.

In my careful review of the book, I find that it provides an overview of the staffing function of P/ HR management, but breaks no new ground. In actuality, its contents can be divided into two sections. The first reads like a college term paper that reviews the literature of realistic job previews, reality shock, and corporate culture. The other section is basically a summary of an introductory personnel management text book.

Chapter 1 titled: ‘Understanding and managing the transiton process’, reads very much like a college term paper but with a major deficiency. The author uses the terms ‘reality shock’, ‘unrealistic expectations’, and ‘corporate culture’ but fails to credit Dean (1983, 1985), Wanous (1980), or Deal and Kennedy (1982) who have, respectively, pioneered much of the research into these fields, and who probably first defined these terms. As a review of the literature, this chapter is adequate. In additon to the research just cited, Phillips draws heavily from the work of Schein, Kaplan, and Mobley, who are correctly cited. I am, however, curious as to the source of Exhibit 1 on page 23 which lists the turnover costs for a graduate who left a firm after 11 months. Some specific costs are listed, but no details of the firm or position are given, which renders the calculations suspect.

Chapter 2 titled ‘Building a bridge between college and work’, and Chapter 3, ‘Finding and selecting future employees’ continue the term paper format providing a cook book approach to recruitment and selection. As a faculty member at a liberal arts college, I must take issue with Phillips’ assumption that colleges and universities are ‘meal ticket factories’ with the primary function of training technicians for employers. He criticizes schools for not providing job-related curricula, and recommends a partnership between employers and colleges that involve internships and work-study programs for which students receive academic credit. While this may be appropriate for community colleges or technical schools, it should be noted that a majority of the CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies, and most of our national leaders have attended liberal arts colleges.

On a technical matter, Phillips discusses employment tests in terms of paper and pencil examinations. However, the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (1978) have defined the word ‘test’ in much broader terms and the courts have adopted this definition. In brief, a test is defined as any means of collecting information on individuals when that information is used as the basis for making an employment decision. Thus, faculty recommendations are tests. The decision to recruit at a specific college is a test. Interviews are tests, as are drug tests, physicals, job simulations, assessment centers, etc.

The remaining chapters read very much like a textbook for an introductory course in personnel management. Chapter 4 discusses new employee orientation, and introduces the novel idea of pre-employment education. This process recognizes that for many