The Abilene Paradox and Other Meditations on Management

by Jerry B. Harvey

Overview

Faulty decision-making can have dire consequences, and when it comes to group decisions, the challenges are even greater. Join Dr. Jerry B. Harvey as he clearly illustrates why no organization wants to find themselves goin' to Abilene.
See how group dynamics can keep individuals from stating their true beliefs for fear of isolation and separation, and how that often leads to mismanaged agreement.
You'll learn to recognize the warning signs of risky group dynamics and improve decision-making processes throughout your organization.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780787902773
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/26/1996
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	6.28(w) x 9.23(h) x 0.46(d)

About the Author

JERRY B. HARVEY is professor of management science at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and author of the widely used McGraw-Hill management development film "The Abilene Paradox."

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Abilene Paradox: The Management of Agreement
3. Organizations as Phrog Farms
4. Management and the Myth of Abraham; or, Go Plant a Cabbage on God's Behalf
5. Captain Asoh and the Concept of Grace
6. Eichmann in the Organization
7. Group Tyranny and the Gunsmoke Phenomenon
8. Encouraging Future Managers to Cheat

Editorial Reviews

"Harvey's meditations are a joy. They are the most exquisite essays on management that I've read in over a decade. In fact, this is the only book about management that I've really loved." —Warren Bennis, coauthor of Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge and author of Why Leaders Can't Lead

"Jerry Harvey has become a legAnd in his own time with the success of The Abilene Paradox—a principle of group behavior that has application in corporations, government, academia, and family alike. Now he takes aim at a host of other sacred organizational norms and, in succession, dismantles each. You'll smile at his insight and laugh at his wit." —Kenneth H. Blanchard, coauthor of The One-Minute Manager

From the Publisher