Whether you're new to the field or a seasoned executive, this book will give you a firm grasp on what it takes to make an organization perform. It presents the basic principles of management simply, but not simplistically. Why did an eBay succeed where a Webvan did not? Why do you need both a business model and a strategy? Why is it impossible to manage without the right performance measures, and do yours pass the test? What Management Is is both a beginner's guide and a bible for one of the greatest social innovations of modern times: the discipline of management. Joan Magretta, a former top editor at the Harvard Business Review, distills the wisdom of a bewildering sea of books and articles into one simple, clear volume, explaining both the logic of successful organizations and how that logic is embodied in practice. Magretta makes rich use of examples -- contemporary and historical -- to bring to life management's High Concepts: value creation, business models, competitive strategy, and organizational design. She devotes equal attention to the often unwritten rules of execution that characterize the best-performing organizations. Throughout she shows how the principles of management that work in for-profit businesses can -- and must -- be applied to nonprofits as well.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: The Universal Discipline
Part. I Design: Why People Work Together and How
Ch. 1 Value Creation: From the Outside In
Ch. 2 Business Models: Converting Insight to Enterprise
Ch. 3 Strategy: The Logic of Superior Performance
Ch. 4 Organization: Where to Draw the Lines

Part. II Execution: Making It Happen
Ch. 5 Facing Reality: Which Numbers Matter and Why
Ch. 6 The Real Bottom Line: Mission and Measures
Ch. 7 Betting on the Future: Innovation and Uncertainty
Ch. 8 Delivering Results: First, You Focus
Ch. 9 Managing People: Which Values Matter and Why

Epilogue: Next Steps
Sources and Related Readings
Index