The Culture Cycle: How to Shape the Unseen Force that Transforms Performance by James Heskett, is one of the two non-repeat FT Press freebies this week, free courtesy of parent publisher Pearson Education who are probably owned by one of the Big 6 somewhere up the line.
Currently free @
Amazon UK, will no doubt become free at the
main store (linked for your pricedrop-check convenience), and possibly also B&N.
Description
The contribution of culture to organizational performance is substantial and quantifiable. In The Culture Cycle, renowned thought leader James Heskett demonstrates how an effective culture can account for up to half of the differential in performance between organizations in the same business.
A follow-up to the classic Corporate Culture and Performance (coauthored with John Kotter), this book explains how culture evolves, can be shaped and sustained, and can promote both survival and innovation in tough times.
Drawing on decades of field research and dozens of case studies, Heskett introduces a powerful conceptual framework for managing culture and shows it at work in a real-world setting. Heskett's "culture cycle" identifies policies, practices, and behaviors that are crucial to moving cultures forward and demonstrates how to calculate the economic value of culture through the "Four Rs": referrals, retention, returns to labor, and relationships with customers.
Heskett's insights will be invaluable to leaders, professionals, and consultants in HR, productivity, training, and operations--and for anyone seeking to optimize organizational performance.