Corporate Celebration Play, Purpose, and Profit at Work

At a time when downsizing, ""leaner and meaner"" and no-frills are the order of the day, the authors argue that companies should periodically celebrate both their successes and their employees. Deal (Corporate Cultures) and psychologist Key maintain that these celebrations--whether acknowledging someone's birthday or a corporate anniversary--draw employees together and forge community in the workplace. Even coming together to grieve--when a product or mission fails--is good for everyone involved, they stress. Their position would have been more compelling had they conducted more firsthand interviews with employers who observe celebrations. Instead, they rely almost exclusively on excerpts from other people's books and oft-told tales about Southwest Airlines and Wal-Mart. Still, Deal and Key list countless reasons to celebrate, tell how to do it and even include a chapter on ""recipes for failure""--things to avoid if you want to make the celebration a success. The book will be useful to the corporate people charged with planning events. (June)