Search results

THE changes in London local government which came into operation on 1st April, 1965, cut across the existing regional library bureaux organisation.

The purpose of this paper is to resolve a puzzle in the explanation of organisational change, where change appears to be within-form but results unintendedly in a transition between forms, yet first appearances suggest the absence of “noise” of the kind expected during shifts between forms.

The paper uses qualitative analysis of primary archival and secondary sources on an historical case, analysing the data by coding using categories derived from neo-Durkheimian institutional theory. It examines the case of the cabinet, treated as an organisation, in the British government led by premier Harold Macmillan between 1959 and 1963, when a strategy for increasing hierarchy resulted unintendedly in an isolation dynamic.

It demonstrates that the neo-Durkheimian institutional approach can explain such puzzling cases. Appropriately for a special issue in honour of Mars’ work, it shows that his method of following rule violation and an adapted version of his concept of capture can provide a method of causal process tracing and a causal mechanism for resolving the puzzle.

The argument is presented for purposes of theory development, not testing. It examines a single case study in depth.

The findings demonstrate some of the risks which arise in changing informal institutional ordering, especially within decision-making executives, from the process by which informal institutions shape styles of judgement and decisions driven by those styles then feed back upon those executive bodies.

This is the first examination of puzzling unintended between-form transitions, the first to propose an adaptation of Mars’ concept of capture to resolve such puzzles and the first detailed causal process tracing analysis of such a case using neo-Durkheimian institutional theoretic tools. It therefore offers a significant advance in institutional explanation of organisational change.

‘For many years teaching methods and the subjects taught in schools remained largely unchanged. Now new ideas are rapidly ousting the old…’. Using these words, Mr Harold Macmillan announced the new 8mm fllmloops that his company, Macmillan & Co, have just launched (sec page 511, October issue). Initially the films deal with five subjects: Language Teaching, Physics, Basic Nursing Training, Emergency Resuscitation and Sex Instruction.

The NEW ROLLS‐ROYCE ALTITUDE TEST PLANT at Sinfin, Derby, was opened in September by the Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Harold MacMillan, P.C., M.P., and is designed to establish performance and characteristics of turbo‐jet and turbo‐propellor engines at all operating altitudes and forward speeds likely to be encountered during the next few years. It can simulate altitude and forward speed conditions up to 2.5 mach at altitudes from 36,000 ft. to 70,000 ft. This plant will enable rapid development to proceed by avoiding weather and physical testing problems and it is expected that this will maintain Britain's lead in aero engine design.

The British Prime Minister's Office has recently opened a Web site. Although it does contain selected Prime Minister's speeches, transcripts and interviews, Prime Ministers' biographies (back to Harold Macmillan at present), and a tour of Number 10, it is also an entry point to British executive department government sites. The Cabinet Ministers' Biography section contains information on 23 ministers and links to Cabinet Web sites. There is also a page of government department pointers.

The 1957 MOTOR SHOW, OR GIVEN ITS FULL title, The 42nd International Motor Exhibition, will be officially opened at Earls Court, London, on October 16th at 12 noon by the Prime Minister, The Rt. Hon. Harold Macmillan, M.P. The Exhibition will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, (except Sundays) from the 16th to the 26th. Admission charges for the opening day, and also for Tuesday, 22nd are £1 before 5 p.m. and 10s. 0d. after 5 p.m. On all other days prices are 5s. 0d. before 5 p.m. and 2s. 6d. after.

In the history of business management thought, six idea families have predominated during the last eighty or so years — bureaucracy (Max Weber), scientific management (Frederick Winslow Taylor), classical management (Henri Fayol), human relations (Elton Mayo), neo‐human relations (Abraham Maslow). To these one can add the more recent contributions of different writers under the heading of guru theory. The first five idea families are well known, but the sixth requires explanation. Gury theory achieved prominence during the 1980s. While not yet featuring extensively in management textbooks it has received widespread attention in the financial and business press (Lorenz, 1986; Dixon, 1986; Clutterbuck and Crainer, 1988; Pierce and Newstrom, 1988; Heller, 1990). Guru theory consists of the diverse and unrelated writings of well‐known company chief executives such as Lee lacocca (Chrysler), Harold Geneen (ITT), John Harvey‐Jones (ICI) and John Sculley (Apple Computer); of management consultants like Tom Peters and Philip Crosby; and of business school academics like Michael Porter, Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Henry Mintzberg. Since their contributions are so heterogeneous, and as the writings draw so much of their authority from the individual authors themselves, the adopted label is felt to be appropriate.

The UK has one natural resource that won't dry up and for which there is an ever‐increasing demand — the English language. For the Algerian, it's the language he'll use to communicate with much of Africa; the Malay will speak English to the Swede; for many under‐developed countries, English can be as important as railways or roads or any other form of communication; and English is now the main language of international commerce. It has been John and Brita Haycraft's aim to bring this resource to as many people as possible.

Reginald Maudling will have the ugly problem of industrial spying thrust under his nose next year. Officials at the Home Office are already hinting at registration for security firms—having noted that those which have gone beyond pure security and into espionage are small operators with backgrounds and qualifications which in themselves would not bear much investigation.