Adventures in Management : A Saga of Managing in a Developing Country

Contents: Preface. Acknowledgements. I. Managing Amid Chaos: 1. Coping with Chaos. 2. Proletarian power. 3. Learning from subordinates. 4. Class and caste systems. II. Good governance and weak managers: 5. The great divide in a business. 6. Sometimes, managers are too human. 7. Searching for transparency. 8. Crossing the class barrier. 9. Junior, Eschew the limelight. 10. The importance of networking. 11.  Middle east sketches: Saudi and Yemen. 12. Middle east sketches: the Gulf and Afghanistan. 13. Multinationals are good for you. III. Public services can be managed: 14. Public service management. 15. Meeting the people. 16. Making a quick buck. 17. Redeeming promises. 18. Getting people to work. 19. Re-programming people. 20. More encounters with politicians. 21. Image building. 22. Saving the forests. 23. Mending the system. 24. A parting of ways. 25. Epilogue. Appendix. 

"Through a series of dramatic, real life, people-centred stories from the corporate world, Adventures in Management highlights the differences between developing and developed countries--in terms of politics, corruption and cultural attitudes--and explains how to do business successfully in spite of them.

The author deals with the profound effect of human frailty on corporate performance within the organization and in the operating environment outside it--notwithstanding the techniques of good managing skills taught in management schools. Recognizing that managing in a developing country poses some unusual challenges, the author maintains that a successful manager must be resourceful and innovative in dealing with interpersonal situations, and willing to break away from tradition or established rules. Core lessons in this book include how to develop a harmonious culture within an organization and create and environment that works to the advantage of the business as well as for the benefit and dignity of the employees.

Based on the author's personal experiences while working in two state-owned corporations and a multinational company in Sri Lanka, this book lays bare the ground realities of managing in developing countries."