Recommending Books for Purchase (Bulletin 7 - January 2018) - Choice Review: Organisational Behaviour

In this book, Gunter (mass communications, Univ. of Leicester, UK) employs an interesting approach to the growing scholarly interest in celebrity culture by examining the value celebrities have through the term capital. Defining celebrity as a person who has a high public profile, the author explains that celebrity capital can be measured in monetary terms as well as other ways, such as the psychological capital of celebrities, defined as the psychological impact celebrities have on their fans. In addition, he examines consumer capital, which applies to those celebrities who endorse products, as well as corporate capital, which results when celebrity-endorsed products sell a significant number of units for a company. In essence, these celebrities add overall value to companies, although if celebrity behavior is considered distasteful by the public, the images of the products and the companies providing them may become tarnished. Gunter also explains political capital, which pertains to those celebrities who engage in political causes. Finally, he discusses health capital, which applies to those celebrities who engage in the promotion of health issues. Although brief, this insightful book should appeal to undergraduates and graduate students interested in learning about how valuable celebrities can become to companies, political parties, or worthy causes.

Refreshingly bold in perspective and nuanced in exposition, this book by Paulsen (Lund Univ., Sweden) carves out a new place among the sociological greats. Summarizing the various schools of thought (e.g., Weber and Marx), the author brings in a relevant, modern energy by tapping into examples of workplace idleness and forms of organizational misbehavior cataloged in popular culture. Paulsen also makes a powerful case for the ubiquity of slacker behaviors and meaning making, chipping away at the armor of the intensification and globalization meta-narratives that have driven workplace research. More than stealing paper clips or stationery from the office, misbehavior is dynamic in its covert and overt manifestations, be they unwittingly or consciously political. The author has performed scholarly liposuction on the body of work that is organizational sociology, stripping away the bloated arguments about and for the value of work. What remains is a compact, comprehensive reflection on work, workers, and taboo subjects. The conversations cover the spectrum from empirical to existential in a judicious yet irreverent voice that will be especially appreciated by upper-division undergraduates and faculty.

Crowley (public policy, Rutgers) addresses a key workplace issue, advocating for mothers to actively promote increased workplace flexibility in the US regarding work time, place, vacation, etc. The lack of such options is often cited as one reason women still struggle to successfully balance work and family and achieve workplace equality with men. Studies documenting advantages to employees and employers are cited. Crowley presents research on the feasibility of "organizing for workplace flexibility," drawing data from five groups: MOPS (mothers of preschoolers), Mocha Moms (mothers of color), National Association of Mothers' Centers, Mothers and More, and Moms Rising. She describes the various characteristics of each group (e.g., race, education, number of children, employment status). Information was gathered from web and phone surveys as well as in-depth interviews. Crowley reports that on most issues, working and nonworking mothers do not differ. Meeting children's needs was a priority for all. For their ideal job, most women gave flexibility a high rating. However, few wanted government regulation; they felt management should decide, but government incentives to business might be acceptable. Crowley offers suggestions to help mothers push for increased workplace flexibility but also acknowledges the importance of convincing other groups to support this change.

In this book, Fleming (Cass Business School, City Univ. London), noted critic of free-market capitalism, dismantles the understanding of work. In capitalism’s class structure, workers become their jobs and build their sense of self-worth around their willingness to abandon self-preservation and become gainfully employed. Rather than performing socially useful things, workers perform painful and meaningless actions to keep busy and make money. Workers experience job-related illnesses and use their private time to answer work-related e-mails. Although technical innovations automate routine manual labor and cognitive work, management still persuades workers to perform painful and meaningless tasks. Fleming challenges workers to confront those capitalistic forces wanting to profit from acting collectively and encourages them to configure a constructive post-work world. In a life after work, building a sense of self-worth forms the epicenter of existence; paying everyone a living wage for a three-day workweek abolishes the effort and reward paradigm; and multitiered collectives' managing banks, utilities, railways, and health care providers underscores civic responsibility and public service. In essence, Fleming challenges readers to configure alternatives to work that propagate rather than annihilate humanity. Readers might also consider David M. Kotz's The Rise and Fall of Neoliberal Capitalism (CH, Jul'15, 52-5992).

This book develops the thesis that a significant portion of the US work force is mistreated and dominated by owners and bosses with arbitrary powers similar to authoritarian governments. The beginning chapters develop this case, and later chapters include responses from scholars in social science and philosophy. The historical debate is important in sorting out whether the economic optimism of Adam Smith and other Enlightenment thinkers is relevant to labor’s situation in the modern economy. Anderson suggests that individual, entrepreneurial, small-scale production has evolved into large corporate enterprises that leave laborers in bondage with little hope of meaningful change. The comments section questions whether workers are seriously mistreated because turnover, regulations, constitutional rights, and worker voice options limit employer power. Anderson responds with data and counterarguments to confirm her thesis. A reader might benefit from reviewing this final response chapter first because it includes the data hoped for earlier and alerts one to the key issues explored in the earlier chapters. Overall, this is a well-documented, captivating discussion that should be addressed in an interdisciplinary manner, and an excellent starting point to make that happen.

Quality of work, organizational and national prosperity, and quality of life are interdependent, and 40 percent of Canadian workers reported dissatisfaction with current and/or projected quality of life. The authors analyze decades of findings from polls, EKOS studies, and professional work to articulate socioeconomic forces impacting Canadian jobs and what an ideal job or workplace looks like from workers’ perspectives; develop a visual of the ideal job; and propose a plan for leaders to bring it into fruition. Notes provide chapter-relevant clarifications and references. The style is uncomplicated, with bulleted lists, examples, and figures and tables throughout. This book could benefit from thorough editing for minor grammatical errors. It fits comfortably among quality of work-life/workplace trends and employee engagement sources.

Gall (Univ. of Bradford, UK) provides examples, challenges, and economic possibilities of efforts to unionize sex workers throughout the globe. Gall’s academic book is based on interviews with union organizers and research focusing on leading industrial relations and economics journals. Exotic dancers, adult film actors, escorts, sex chat line workers, and prostitutes are among the sex workers discussed. Leading issues encouraging unionism include hours worked, working conditions (such as safety), earning capacity, and extent of job control. Some challenges to unionization include workers being perceived as independent contractors (therefore unions are irrelevant), spurned by established unions, denied legal protections, and resisted by club owners, state regulators, and radical feminists. Gall provides examples of union organization efforts especially in North America, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand. The Canadian Association of Burlesque Entertainers was the first sex workers' union in Canada; it lasted from 1979 to 1982. Though it ended up not succeeding, partly because of members’ stigma over being strippers, it did succeed at presenting women as laborers trying to make changes in their occupational environment.

Yoon (Cambridge Group) examines a curious, intriguing marketing phenomenon. Superconsumers make up a subgroup of extremely knowledgeable, highly fixated customers. Though they are a small segment of a product's market, they account for a large percentage of its sales. They share a passion for the product and offer a valuable resource to marketers, providing sharp insight that the company may lack. The author aptly illustrates the concept through countless case studies, personal anecdotes, and relevant data. Superconsumers may shape product success in numerous ways. One grocery chain found them critical to growing its private brand. In another instance, superconsumers helped a major manufacturer push past the boundaries of an industry stereotype. Bud Light Lime seemed like a mistake for Anheuser-Busch, as it went against the macho persona the company had cultivated. The lime variant was very well received, however, as superconsumers sought a sweeter beer, image notwithstanding. The book is concise and easy to read, rather resembling a self-help book for marketers. To pursue a specific brand strategy, a typical company might require more solid research. Nonetheless, the volume affords an enjoyable, quick read for practitioners or advanced marketing students seeking an interesting supplementary text.

Renowned market analyst and demographer Gronbach and noted demographic researcher Moye adroitly remove the mystique of the often-arcane plethora of data that seems to be the mantra of today’s Information Age. From the global impact of age curves to the Affordable Care Act and the latest trends in marketing, such as Zipcars, the book is much more than the traditional compilation of charts, graphs, and statistical methodology and data. It provides instead a unique socioeconomic history, challenging insights, and a practical guide into the meaning and impact of contemporary demographics on the future global demand for products and services. Organized into three sections—“The Demand Side of the Equation: Generations and Regions,” “The Supply Side of the Equation: The Impact of Demographics,” and “The Rest of the World (Row)”—the 31 excellent chapters feature an engaging, entertaining writing style along with interesting short case studies and a dynamic, global, and new and powerful vision of the opportunities that are and will continue to become available to those who are able to understand and take advantage of their potential.

Paludi, president of Human Resources Management Solutions and a developmental psychologist, compiled this collection to provide a tapestry of techniques for employers to use in valuing all women in the workplace. The book's 19 chapters do indeed weave a rich tapestry, making this volume appealing for students, academic professionals, and women in the workplace. The majority of the chapters are research-based discussions on variegated topics ranging from unequal division of labor in household duties and child care to the benefits of mother-friendly, flexible workplaces to employers and employees alike. Worthy of special note are a few short, very personal, autobiographical accounts that are fascinating to read. Chapters focusing on women of color; workplace issues for gay and lesbian parents; experiences of Australian, Czech, and Israeli women; and “sandwich-generation” constraints illustrate that work-life integration issues cross cultural, geographic, age, and educational boundaries. The final chapters lay out work-life integration strategies for women and employers, offering very specific analyses and guidelines for creating supportive workplaces, leveraging flexible working arrangements, and utilizing technology. In all, the book does a good job of examining legislation, social-science research, and human resources management practices dealing with women's integration of work and life roles.