Review by Dr. Janet Summerton, a writer, researcher and Convenor of Arts & Cultural Management Studies at University of Sussex in Brighton. (Hutchinson, 2001, ISBN 0-09- 179 367- 7 £17.99 [£21.89 inc p&p*])
Handy?s latest book refers to his concept of the world increasingly inhabited by big organisations and independent workers. His style is informative, readily accessible, and peppered with personal anecdote. On the increasing trend to form partnerships, he says ?the time and complexity of managing new chains of activities and partners are rarely costed... we never realise how different and difficult it is going to be ... management becomes, much of the time, a protracted negotiation between diverging agendas.? Food for thought here as many of us get drawn into increasing numbers of partnerships, networks and consortia. He speaks with equal authority on large-scale organisations and independents operating portfolio lives. On his own move from organisational to portfolio life, he writes ?I had grown up assuming that work had to deliver everything ? money, satisfaction, companionship, creativity ... now I do some things for money and other things for other reasons.? This is a good book to add to your collection.
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