Good business : leadership, flow, and the making of meaning / Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly.

Contributor:

EBSCOhost.

Howard R. Jachman Memorial Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Success.

Quality of work life.

Business--Psychological aspects.

Business.

Job satisfaction.

Happiness.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (vi, 244 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

New York : Viking, 2003.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

But what shape have our lives taken in today's working world? Consider the fact that while 80 percent of adults claim that they would work even if they had enough money never to have to worry, the majority of them can hardly wait to leave their jobs and get home. Consider that the dramatic fall of major corporations such as Enron and WorldCom has left employees, investors, and the public at large distrustful of business in general. Consider that most people feel that their jobs have no clear goals, that they seldom receive adequate feedback, that their skills are rarely matched to available opportunities, and that they have lost any sense of control over the work they do. Yet our workplaces do not have to be the source of drudgery and dissatisfaction. Under the guidance of visionary leaders, many companies have succeeded in running businesses that are both successful and humane -- that contribute to the happiness and well-being of their employees. In Good Business, the author of the groundbreaking Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience reveals the values that have served these leaders as a blueprint for doing business that is "good" in both senses: the material and the spiritual.

Visionary leaders have a common dedication to three fundamental principles. The first is a Vision Beyond the Self: a goal that benefits society as a whole and that motivates and inspires a workforce to do its best. Second is a Commitment to the Organization, which means gaining the trust and respect of employees by fostering on-the-job growth in self-knowledge, wisdom, and relationships. Finally, they are engaged in creating a product that benefits humankind and not just one that generates revenue. While Good Business draws primarily on the experiences of leaders of major corporations, the lessons it teaches are relevant for improving one's work life at any level -- from entry position to manager. As such it will become a classic text for anyone who values the contribution of individuals in the changing world of business.

Contents:

Part I: Flow and happiness

Leading the future

The business of happiness

Happiness in action

Flow and growth

Part II: Flow and organizations

Why flow doesn't happen on the job

Building flow in organizations

Part III: Flow and the self

The soul of business

Creating flow in life

The future of business.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 229-235) and index.

Electronic reproduction. Ipswich, MA Available via World Wide Web.

Description based on print version record.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Howard R. Jachman Memorial Fund.

Other Format:

Online version: Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Good business.

ISBN:

9781101127001

1101127007

Publisher Number:

99984136029

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.