Susan Albers Mohrman

Amidst rapid and fundamental shifts in the economic, geo-political, technological, and societal landscape, this cutting-edge book makes the timeless case that research can be informed by problems in the 'real world' and make important contributions to theory and practice. Throughout the book, the authors argue that there is a 'sweet spot' where both scholarly and practical research can be done simultaneously. It offers readers insightful and rich examples of how this can be achieved, including frameworks, examples, ideas, and tools which will guide researchers in the lifelong task of defining themselves as researchers and crafting their own unique research practice. It also features critical insights into careers oriented toward having impact on practice, reflective questions that make the principles personal and relevant, and a framework to help develop the network of connections required for research to impact practice. Speaking to the graduate student in all of us, How to Do Relevant Research will greatly benefit Ph. D. students and early career academics who gravitate towards this kind of research but worry about its feasibility and instrumentality, mid-to-late career scholars who do research for practice and teach young scholars how to do it, and to researchers in a think-tank or consultancy who want their work to be scientifically sound and practically useful.

Useful Research is designed to discuss the legitimacy and importance of conducting useful research to benefit both theory and practice in the field of organizational and management research. It examines how useful research can be achieved and it argues that in order to keep organizational research relevant to theory and practice, the approach must deviate from the orthodoxy of positivistic research approaches. The contributing authors were selected for their demonstrated ability to conduct useful research, and they bring their unique professional experience to their chapters by describing the choices they make and the tactics they employ. The core message of this book is that in order to conduct research that is useful, researchers must learn from practice and intentionally position their work so that it finds a pathway to practice. While each chapter can stand alone, the book is crafted to provide multiple complementary perspectives on the topic of useful research. It does an outstanding job of describing what it takes to bridge the gap between theory and practice. It goes beyond advocacy, theoretical debate, and restatements of the problem to focus on the types of research methods that produce useful research. Topics include crafting research programs to yield useful knowledge, academic careers that yield useful knowledge, pathways to practice, institutional agents such as MBA programs and journals.

This is the Center for Effective Organizations's (CEO) fourth national study of the human resources (HR) function in large corporations. It is the only long-term national study of this important function. Like the previous studies, it focuses on measuring whether the HR function is changing and on gauging its effectiveness. The study focuses particularly on whether the HR function is changing to become an effective strategic partner. It also analyzes how organizations can more effectively manage their human capital. The present study compares data from earlier studies to data collected in 2004. The results show some important changes and indicate what HR needs to do to be effective. Practices are identified that enable HR functions to be high value-added strategic partners.

Create a more flexible, responsive, and competitive business A Publication of The Center for Effective Organizations Picking up where the successful Organizing for the Future left off, this work from the Center for Effective Organizations presents a coherent set of principles and hands-on guidance for creating the successful organization of tomorrow. Celebrated contributors such as Jay Conger, David Finegold, and Tora Bikson--not to mention the editors themselves--empower a book that captures the latest thinking and new practices regarding the design of complex organizations. The emerging forms and contexts of organizations, enablers of continuous performance improvement, and change implementation processes are among the many cutting-edge topics discussed.

Proven-to-work tools for building or fine-tuning teams The authors of Designing Team-Based Organizations present hands-on guidance for establishing or refining teams in organizations where they carry out the core work process. Though teams are fast becoming the basic foundation of businesses and other organizations, surprisingly few resources are available to help managers, leaders, and design teams organize an entire business or business unit around teams. In response to requests from their consulting clients, including Texas Instruments and Honeywell, the Mohrmans developed these step-by-step materials to accomplish just that. The workbook is a practical guide that combines basic concepts with dozens of valuable worksheets that team organizers can use to create a viable design plan. Attractively designed with clear graphics, sidebars, to-do lists, and diagnostic aids, the workbook details planning, design, goals, decision-making, communications, leadership roles, performance management, and more. The facilitator's guide outlines how to use the workbook with groups so that unit managers, project managers, design professionals, and human resource staffs can work efficiently with their management teams to transform their groups into teams.

From the authors of Designing Team-Based Organizations, hands-on guidance for establishing or refining teams in organizations where they carry out the core work process. Though teams are fast becoming the basic foundation of businesses and other organizations, surprisingly few resources are available to help managers, leaders, and design teams organize an entire business or business unit around teams. In response to requests from their consulting clients, including Texas Instruments and Honeywell, the Mohrmans developed these step-by-step materials. Their workbook is a practical guide that combines basic concepts with dozens of valuable worksheets that team organizers can use to create a viable design plan. Attractively designed with clear graphics, sidebars, to-do lists, and diagnostic aids, the workbook details planning, design, goals, decision-making, communications, leadership roles, performance management, and more. The facilitator's guide outlines how to use the workbook with groups so that unit managers, project managers, design professionals, and human resource staffs can work efficiently with their management teams to design or redesign their groups around teams.

"A terrific book!" —David A. Nadler, chairman, Delta Consulting GroupTackle the organizational issues related to implementing teams. Learn new designs to support the knowledge work components of organizations. Drawing on over fifteen years of research and consulting with such companies as Honeywell, Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Bell, General Mills, Pratt and Whitney, Pfizer, and Texas Instruments, the authors shows you how to create new organization designs that empower teams so that they make a real difference. You'll discover how to:*Design new work teams*Identify new roles and responsibilities*Manage team performance*Create an empowering team environment Over 50 tables, figures, and exhibits reinforce the practical text. Even if teams already exist at your organization, you'll use this well-researched guide to push your teams to higher levels of performance!

Mohrman and Wohlstetter have written the most important volume onschool-based management to date... a significant contribution tothe school reform literature. ? Joseph Murphy, professor and chair, department of educationalleadership, Vanderbilt University