Customer Reviews

Productive Workplaces Revisited: Dignity, Meaning, and Community in the 21st Century

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Productive Workplaces by Marvin R. Weisbord is a classic text on the evolution or organization development and, in Weisbord's words, organizing and managing for dignity, meaning and community. Those familiar with Weisbord's style will enjoy reading his narrative of the individuals and events that led up to the field of organization development as we now know it. In Part One, Weisbord takes the reader through the history of Frederick Taylor, Lewin, McGregor, Trist, Emery, and others who contributed to the evolution of the productive workplaces in which many of us are now fortunate enough to dwell. In Part Two, Weisbord translates theory into practice as he describes methods by which the workplace might be transformed. Finally, in Part Three, Weisbord encourages the reader to explore new and evolving theories, thereby continuing the growth and evolution of the field. Productive Workplaces is a classic that should not be missed by anyone even slightly interested in the field of organization development or workplace effectiveness. I am currently using it as a textbook for a graduate-level OD course and finding it to be invaluable.

Marvin's book not only provides a wonderful historical context to OD, it provides great clarity into what the focus of OD should be - bringing Dignity, Meaning & Community to our working lives. In the first part of the book, he looks back at the key pioneers, from Taylor to Trist & Emery, and demonstrates how each added to dignity, meaning & community in their own way. It becomes very clear how "open systems" thinking evolved, and how the various philosophies therein should be applied. In the second part of the book, Marvin focuses in on practical applications of OD approaches and techniques, culminating with a very insightful, real-world case. Throughout, the themes were clear and consistent, and the messages powerful.

This book is an absolute "must read" for anyone interested in OD as a profession, as well as for anyone interested in dramatically improving workplace productivity through dignity, meaning & community (and avoiding draconian cost cutting).

as assigned reading in a HRD graduate course PW proves to be a great resource and an enjoyable read. mr. weisbord opens his tool box and lets you choose from a wide array of tools to apply directly to HRD situations. he also shares his triumphs and his tragedies allowing the reader a better understanding of how he arrived at the pinnacle of his profession. i'm not given to a great deal of emotion or "warm fuzziness" but mr. weisbord's writings and experiences are so powerful i found myself totally absorbed. best of all mr. weisbord cuts to the chase and presents his material in a concise manner. a rare find when compared to the techno-babble double-speak crap most business writers are churning out...

This book really puts together the evolution of theory on organizational change. Weisbord makes a compelling case for getting the system into one room to develop solutions that will be supported. Guidelines for actual interventions are not detailed how-tos. History and principles sections are excellent.

Recommended to me by a change management consultant as the best book available on the subject.

The opening chapters deal with the historical leading lights of workplace efficiency and organisational design. This is interesting and informative.

Later chapters outline Weisbord's ideas on work design, organising a business, guidelines for ree-organising and generally shaking down an organisation. It can be a litle tedious to winkle out the ideas, but some of them are worthwhile.

Final chapters provide guidelines on consulting and helping people through a major change. Applied common sense proven in action makes this section the most worthwhile part of the book.

A book worth reading, but not essential. My expectations were perhaps a little too high.