Breaking the Mold

Bailyn has written a book employees will want to give to their bosses. The author, a professor at the Sloan School of Management at MIT, argues that the traditional way companies organize their operations and measure success--around time concepts--needs to be revised. Bailyn contends that changes in society, primarily the increasing number of women in the workforce, should prompt companies to find methods that allow their employees to ``work smarter, not longer.'' Using such techniques as occupational autonomy, empowerment and flexibility, corporations can devise organizational structures that can both increase productivity and lessen chances of burnout. The book has its limitations, however. Bailyn frequently lapses into academese, which could discourage readers. Another drawback, and one which Bailyn herself acknowledges, is that the book deals only with professional employees (e.g., lawyers, consultants, engineers), making the application of some of her theories to the factory floor questionable. Still, for employers interested in learning what they can do to adapt to the needs of a changing workforce, Bailyn's book should be able to provide a tip or two. (Nov . )