Using “Paperback” and Academic Theories for Practice

Many managers have found popular and academic writings on job and organisational design most interesting and have committed a great deal of energy in trying to use them. Terms such as job enrichment, job enlargement, Japanese management, and socio‐technical design have become well known for their potential in responding to problems of job dissatisfaction, labour instability, and poor workmanship. Ways in which “popular paperback” theories, as well as other more systematic organisational theories of design might be customised to the particular needs of the organisation are illustrated.