Strategic and Organizational Change

Description

The brewing industry, through its network of public houses, has a profound impact on the lives of much of the population of United Kingdom. Exploring the shaping of this industry in the years from 1950-1990, this book shows how it has moved from being largely concerned with the technical issues of production to being a key part of the retail industries.

Drawing from theoretical traditions such as critical realism and new institutionalism, Strategic and Organizational Change demonstrates the considerable differences between major companies in the industry and the ways in which they have adopted a retailing approach. At the heart of the book is an exploration of the relationship between managerial choice and the structural constraints and opportunities in which that choice was exercised.

Providing a new model of how history can inform the analysis of organizational strategy, the book draws on extensive archival material and adopts a far more historical approach than previous accounts of the area. Above all, Alistair Mutch presents a fascinating story of change in an industry which is taken for granted, but whose actions affect, for good or ill, the lives of millions.

Reviews

"Mutch's book offers a facinating insight … and should be required reading for those wanting to understand the post-war brewing industry" Tim Holt, Journal of the Brewing History Society

Contents

Preface. Introduction 1. Organization, Strategy and Institution 2. Realism and Strategy 3. Brewing and Pubs: Definitions and Development 4. In the Boardroom 1950-1960 5. Trends in Consumption 1950-1990 6. Shaping the Manager 7. Retailing and Resistance 8. Divergent Routes to Retailing 9. Conclusion. Primary Sources. Company Records. Other Primary Documents. Trade Journals and Newspapers. Interviews. References

Author Bio

Alistair Mutch is Professor of Information and Learning at Nottingham Trent University, UK. He has published extensively on a range of themes associated with the impact of information on work organizations and the consequences for education. His current interests include the application of critical realism to organizational theory and the development of the history of management.

Related Subjects

1. Industrial Economics
2. Business & Corporate Strategy
3. Ownership & Organization of Enterprises