The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First

Why is common sense so uncommon when it comes to managing people? How is it that so many seemingly intelligent organizations implement harmful management practices and ideas? In his provocative new book, The Human Equation, bestselling author Jeffrey Pfeffer examines why much of the current conventional wisdom is wrong and asks us to re-think the way managers link people with organizational performance. Pfeffer masterfully builds a powerful business case for managing people effectively--not just because it makes for good corporate policy, but because it results in outstanding performance and profits. Challenging current thinking and practice, Pfeffer: --Reveals the costs of downsizing--and provides alternatives; --Identifies troubling trends in compensation, and suggests better practices; --Explains why even the smartest managers sometimes manage people unwisely; --Demonstrates how market-based forces can fail to create good people management practices, creating a need for positive public policy; --Provides practical guidelines for implementing high-performance management practices. Filled with information and ideas, The Human Equation provides much-needed guidance for managing people more wisely--and more profitably. "Distinguishing himself from other writers who tackle such topics in a touchy-feely way, Pfeffer has attempted to address corporate managers in a language they can understand: numbers."--The Washington Post Book World "One hopes that Pfeffer's book is read, not just by people who already agree with him, but by the CEOs and executives he so passionately directs his argument toward. If he's even partly right, we all could profit from his advice."--Training "The HumanEquation is simplicity itself. Jeffrey Pfeffer shows that organizations that support, encourage, and build the skills of their people outperform all competitors. The power of committed minds and hearts working toward a common goal wins today and builds for tomorrow."--Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, The Drucker Foundation