If only I had found this several weeks ago.....
The MIX - or Management Innovation eXchange - is a veritable treasure trove of management insights and know-how. It's full of articles and discussions on all sorts of management issues.
The people behind the site talk about how the MIX is all about reinventing management for the 21st century. I like this idea. So much has changed about the workplace over the past few decades. Most offices could not exist without information technology anymore, there is a much larger number of women populating companies these days, the level of education of the average worker is much higher than it used to be, and within the field of management itself many people now receive specific training.
I find it interesting to think about how management has developed over time - from scientific management, to the Fordian construction line model, Weber’s Ideal Bureaucracy, Hawthorne’s emphasis on the human factor, and the more contemporary open systems. It’s very interesting to chart how attitudes to the workplace have changed in tandem with social shifts regarding the individual’s place in the larger company.
At the MIX it seems like they are trying to inspire a more holistic approach to managing a workplace, making it a more vibrant, creative and a happier environment to spend time in, as well as one that works more efficiently and effectively. And they emphasise that the management discussion is evolving all the time.
Looks like the MIX could be a really handy resource to have going forward.
Better late than never so.
