A Handbook of Management Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide to Achieving Managerial Excellence and Improved Decision Making (3rd ed.)

Citation

Bullock, J. (2007), "A Handbook of Management Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide to Achieving Managerial Excellence and Improved Decision Making (3rd ed.)", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 376-377. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730710752238

Oftentimes, titles of books can be misleading; not so with A Handbook of Management Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide to Achieving Managerial Excellence and Improved Decision Making. This title represents full disclosure of the information contained in this excellent compendium of management science knowledge. The handbook provides concise explanations and overviews of concepts, metrics, and interventions commonly employed in business and organizational settings. It is akin to having a complete library of graduate business textbooks in a concise and easily accessible volume. First published in 1986, Armstrong notes that the third edition “revises and updates the techniques described in the previous editions to take account of the considerable developments that have taken place over the past 20 years”. Indeed, the knowledge domain of the management arena has evolved and expanded considerably in the past two decades, increasing in technical competence and rigor. The handbook's singular focus on techniques responds to this complexity and depth in a way that supports the business reader and student of management science. It is not a book about management style, behaviors, skills, activities, or functions and it does not address administrative tasks and procedures often associated with management. Rather, it is a valuable hands‐on volume comprised of “systematic and analytical methods used by managers to assist in decision making, the improvement of efficiency and effectiveness and, in particular, the conduct of two key managerial activities of planning and control”.

The book is structured in chapters, each focusing on a discipline which employs management techniques: marketing management; operational management; financial management; human resource management; management science; planning and resource allocation; and efficiency and effectiveness. A series of key management techniques – systematic, analytical, quantitative, and objective – are presented within each chapter, commencing with a concise definition that is followed by a discussion of relevant applications and benefits, in addition to references for further reading where appropriate. Charts, graphics, and flow charts provide visual anchors for complex techniques, appealing to visual, as well as linear learners, which underscores another key attribute of this book: management training. As such, the handbook is quickly leveraged by experienced business professionals and easily assimilated by students of management science. It tackles tough topics such as activity‐based costing, market forecasting, financial ratios, qualitative research, discounted cash flow, and sensitivity analysis in a straight‐forward manner that provides the reader with a solid understanding of the technique, when and how it is utilised, benefits and associated risks, and where to go when more information is desired. A Handbook of Management Techniques is intriguing due to the sheer magnitude and variety of management techniques addressed, as well as its ability to condense volumes of information into concise narrative explanations that are easily understood. It is a book that is meant to be used frequently, consulted when additional insight or information is needed in a particular area. It has great utility as a reference guide for managers working within one discipline, such as marketing, who need to be conversationally literate in other disciplines, such as financial reporting, operations, and human resource management. The handbook is excellent for managers needing a quick study source of information and review when planning projects, meetings, or presentations. The qualities making this book easily accessible for business professionals and students would likely not best support scholars and researchers interested in management sciences needing in‐depth narratives and exhaustive reference notations.

A Handbook of Management Techniques is not designed for reading from cover‐to‐cover, but rather utilised as a handy reference to support planning and decision making in the areas of marketing management, operational management, financial management, human resource management, management science, planning and resource allocation, and efficiency and effectiveness. The depth and breadth of areas covered make this book an extremely valuable resource for practicing managers across many disciplines and industries. Although many books are on the market today for business professionals and students, this is a “must have” volume of techniques for achieving managerial excellence and improved decision making.