Managing in the modern corporation: the intensification of managerial work in the USA, UK and Japan

In recent years, widespread organisational change in large corporations has almost invariably led to work intensification and increased stress for managers. Managing in the Modern Corporation, first published in 2009, explains how and why large companies have changed their organisational structures and philosophies, focusing in particular on how these changes affect the careers of middle managers. Based on in-depth interviews with over two hundred middle and senior managers working in large corporations in the USA, UK and Japan, it shows how the working lives of managers have been subjected to major disruption, involving work intensification and reduced opportunities for career progression. Furthermore, it argues that such widespread overwork and poor treatment of highly skilled and highly motivated staff has created a major international problem that must be addressed. The book presents a range of solutions to this important problem, suggesting that there are possibilities for saner, less brutal organisational environments.

Integrated approach to organisational restructuring explores the empirical evidence and specific case studies alongside detailed theoretical discussion of the modern corporation
Coverage of the USA, UK and Japan allows the reader to compare international differences in work organization and different approaches to dealing with workplace restructuring
Lengthy and detailed excerpts from interviews with over 200 managers provide organisational stories in the words of those directly caught up in organisational change