Decisions and Organizations

For over 30 years, James March has made a sustained and innovative contribution to the field of organizational theory. In this series of lectures, previously unpublished in English, March explores the problems of leadership. These problems, he proposes, are dealt with more effectively in works of great literature than in management textbooks. Reading ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Don Quixote’, according to March, allows us to develop a critical ability which complements the techniques we acquire elsewhere.

March uses literature to present a range of moral dilemmas related to leadership – questions concerning the balance between private life and public duties, between ingenuity and innocence, between diversity and integration, and between the expression and the control of sexuality. He encourages us to explore ideas that are subversive, unpalatable, and which may not work in the short term, but which allow organisations to adapt in a rapidly changing world.

Nota biograficzna:
James G. March is Fred H. Merrill Professor of Management and Professor of Political Science and Sociology at Stanford University. He has inspired generations of students with his work in organizational theory. His previous publications include ‘Decisions and Organizations’ (Blackwell Publishing, 1989), ‘Behavioral Theory of the Firm’ (Blackwell Publishing, Second Edition, 1992) and ‘The Pursuit of Organizational Intelligence’ (Blackwell Publishing, 1998).

Thierry A. Weill is Professor of Technology Management at Ecole des Mines in Paris. From 2000 to 2002, he acted as scientific advisor to the Prime Minister of France, Lionel Jospin. He is the author of two books, over 40 scientific papers, and several patents. He chairs a monthly workshop on technology and innovation management.

Okładka tylna:
For over 30 years, James March has made a sustained and innovative contribution to the fie ld of organizational theory. In this series of lectures, previously unpublished in English, March explores the problems of leadership. These problems, he proposes, are dealt with more effectively in works of great literature than in management textbooks. Reading ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Don Quixote’, according to March, allows us to develop a critical ability which complements the techniques we acquire elsewhere.

March uses literature to present a range of moral dilemmas related to leadership – questions concerning the balance between private life and public duties, between ingenuity and innocence, between diversity and integration, and between the expression and the control of sexuality. He encourages us to explore ideas that are subversive, unpalatable, and which may not work in the short term, but which allow organisations to adapt in a rapidly changing world.