This Irish author and philosopher specializes in organizational behavior and management. Among the ideas he has advanced are the "portfolio worker" and the "Shamrock Organization," shedding light on the evolving nature of work and organizational structures. His work often delves into the deeper connections between individuals and the systems they operate within, offering insightful perspectives on the modern professional landscape. Through his expertise, the author aims to provide fresh viewpoints on how both individuals and organizations can thrive in a complex and ever-changing world.
His books on management - including Understanding Organizations and Gods of Management - have changed the way we view business. His work on broader issues and trends - such as Beyond Certainty and The Second Curve - has changed the way we view society.
Charles Handy builds on a life's work to glimpse into the future and see what challenges and opportunities lie ahead. He looks at current trends in capitalism and asks whether it is a sustainable system. He explores the dangers of a society built on credit. He challenges the myth that remorseless growth is essential. He even asks whether we should rethink our roles in life--as students, parents, workers and voters--and what the aims of an ideal society of the future should be. Provocative and thoughtful, he sets out the questions we all need to ask ourselves--and points us in the direction of some of the answers.
"Ultimately his thoughtful questioning of his own life is designed to inspire our own - what do we really value? Is it money? Time? Family and community? What is the role of work in our lives? What do we find fulfilling? In his wonderfully engaging and drily witty telling of his own story, Charles Handy provides us with the opportunity to learn life-lessons from one of our wisest contemporaries - and ultimately to inform and influence our own making of life's major decisions." -- BOOK JACKET.
The Elephant and the Flea presents a poignant memoir intertwined with an analysis of the significant shift in the workplace from large corporations to individual free agency. Through his insights, Charles Handy reflects on his extraordinary life while addressing the transformative changes in how we live and work. This work, along with three others, encapsulates Handy's critical perspective on modern capitalism and offers an optimistic vision for the future we can build amidst rapid change.
The author examines his own experience and theories of life and work, using them to discuss the future of everything from education, work and marriage to capitalism, management, religion and society.
This groundbreaking work encourages readers to rethink conventional notions of success, urging a deeper exploration of meaning and fulfillment across professional, personal, and spiritual dimensions. Written by a respected business and social philosopher, the book inspires a transformative journey towards a more holistic understanding of achievement and well-being.
Light-hearted yet profound, Inside Organizations will have a broad general appeal, complementing Handy's bestselling Understanding Organizations. It contains anecdotes, commentary and questions which challenge the reader.
"What drives people to create something from nothing? Is it ambition, the need for self-fulfilment? Is it to do with money, power, or even genes? Is there a mood of the time that encourages people? Can anyone do it?" "Charles Handy has talked to a range of extraordinary characters - from Trevor Baylis and Richard Branson to Jane Tewson and Terence Conran. And Elizabeth Handy has used her new style of composite portraits to highlight aspects of all the different alchemists in their particular environments."--Jacket
An analysis of the author's philosophy of organizations and the individual in a changing social, business and political environment. It shows how materialist capitalism is self-limiting, how efficiency may be the enemy of cohesive society, and examines the false certainties of science and religion
