A study of management and organization development in a UK shipping transport and trading company: 1972-80

The thesis provides an empirical analysis of the role of a management development and training adviser in a major U.K. Shipping, Transport & Trading Group during the decade of the 1970s.The period was characterized by world-wide economic convulsions, political and social change and the emergence of information technology as a key facet of post-industrial society. The decade was to signal the end of British dominance in liner shipping. The study examines how the inter-related processes of management development and organization development were interwoven with the general processes of management. It also illustrates how a managerial system achieved an effective interlocking of the triad of managerial resources -the physical, financial and human resources. An interventions-oriented approach was aimed to achieve individual positive manager involvement for the effective interlocking of business planning with individual performance planning an inter-related performance appraisal system, embracing business and individual performance reviews and assessment the integration of manpower planning and career planning with strategic business objectives and corporate planning the introduction of management development programmes aimed to optimize the contribution of individuals in the achievement of profitability and growth the development of counselling and coaching skills and ongoing action programme to facilitate organization development, through systematic approaches to change the managerial style and behavioural pattern, and to enable managers to acquire competence in decision making skills and managing people.