Foreword

There are several books on organisational behaviour (OB). I had, therefore, valid reasons to wonder as to why Dr (Colonel) P. S. James, a sought-after corporate trainer and leadership specialist, must spend valuable time writing an OB text book. As I browsed through the pages, the novelty of ideas captivated me. The concepts in this book bridge several gaps present in current text books on OB. The book would not only be a great resource for students, but would also be a treatise for managers in organisations, who may refer to the book for solving their day-to-day problems.

I felt compelled to read the book in its entirety with focused attention. As I read it, I realised that it is so comprehensive that I would consider it every manager’s life partner. Dr James drives home the concept of ‘sustained competitive advantage’ and ‘change’ with such Elan and finesse that every student who reads this book will realise the centrality of OB to create sustained competitive advantage and initiate change. I liked his thematic approach and the shift of several chapters to the online mode rather than compromise content for space. (I must appreciate the innovativeness of the publisher and the author, and believe that true student orientation must have driven this decision.)

I teach OB and OD in reputed management schools as a guest faculty/adjunct professor. This book is an exceptional resource for a teacher. With many questions designed at differing levels of difficulty and comprehension, application, and critical thinking, it would be helpful to faculty members to be more effective in ensuring transfer of learning. Very importantly, I appreciate the thought he has put in to suggest cases that could make teaching very interactive. I believe even a young faculty would be able to teach well with this book as the preferred resource. I mined deeper and discovered that the book was conceptualised and designed to meet AACSB (the most coveted business school accreditation in the world) standards of learning and teaching.

From a comprehension perspective, the feature that stands out the most is the embedded cases. I read through several chapters and found this method a very innovative one to tightly connect theory and practice. Usually, I find text books have a short case in the beginning of a chapter and then, there is no mention of it anywhere in the chapter. When I am in the role of a faculty, I know what I should focus on, when I handle OB. The next feature that impressed me is the long summary, which makes it possible to revise a chapter within a matter of minutes. Mention of the key concepts of each chapter is another important feature.

I would like to congratulate every reader of this book for their wisdom in making the right choice.

Dr Ashis Sen
Head, Corporate Learning and Development,
Larsen & Toubro Limited