A Handbook of Management and Leadership

By Michael Armstrong and Tina Stephens
Publisher: Kogan Page
ISBN: 0749443448
Price: £27.50
Review by David Blanchflower

Management and Leadership: A Guide to Managing for Results, provides guidance on the processes of management and leadership with particular reference to what managers and aspiring managers need to know about the skills of management and approaches to effective leadership. The book is primarily about the practice of management – the art and science of getting things done. It also covers the relationship between management and leadership and explains how these are complementary activities. It defines the key purpose of management and leadership as being to ‘provide direction, facilitate change and achieve results through the efficient, creative and responsible use of resources.’

The book also deals with three other important areas of management: change management, continuous improvement and the achievement of high levels of customer service. The book is comprehensive in defining aspects of management, leadership, change and continuous improvement, but is rather theoretical and prescriptive in its approach, lacking practical examples and case studies.

The book is aligned to the professional standards of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and its examination system. It therefore provides a complete presentation of all that students need know to pass CIPD examinations. In general the book forms a suitable work of reference from an educational perspective, but may well lack the practicalities and case studies that a hands on practitioner would be looking for in guiding them towards the effective implementation of change and continuous improvement.

About the Authors
Michael Armstrong is a companion of and former chief examiner for the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He is a management consultant and a member of the TUC Equal Pay Panel.

Tina Stephens is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has held management roles in both the private and higher education sectors. She is currently an independent consultant, writer and broadcaster.