Citation
Tourish, D. (2002), "Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness (2nd ed.)", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 77-77. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccij.2002.7.1.77.1
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
In general, books on managerial communication fall into two categories. Many academic texts seek to provide comprehensive bibliographies on all aspects of communication, preferably enmeshed in very dense prose. Readers emerge conceptually enriched but lexically lacerated. Other books, popular in tone, eschew any recourse to evidence: readers who seek some reassurance that the ideas being proposed will be of use are forced to rely on the say‐so of the omniscient author.
Phil Clampitt pioneers a new and exciting “third way”. The second edition of this book exudes academic authority through judicious select use of academic research to underpin analysis. To take one example, a whole chapter is devoted to communication channels. Among the key points made is that some channels focus more attention on the message, others on the communicators. Computers, for example, convey less person‐centred information. Thus computer conferences may be faster than face‐to‐face communication, but they also prevent participants finding out more about each other.
The book relates underlying communication theory to the pressing problems faced by managers on a daily basis. The author’s involvement in this world through his consulting work means that every topic discussed is enlivened with real world illustrations and applications. There are useful ideas on organisational change with a focus on how managers communicate, the nature of communication, communicating change, managing information and knowledge, performance feedback and interdepartmental communication. High among the book’s virtues is its use of telling anecdote and vivid metaphor. It manages to tell its story in a constantly engaging style.
Clampitt has produced a unique text that successfully combines research and practice, while casting a fresh eye over both. It will be of benefit to practising managers and students alike.