John Beckford – författare

The Intelligent Nation proposes a systemic and radical transformation of the organisation, management, ownership and performance of the services of the state by capitalising on the potential offered by contemporary information capability and fulfilling the rights and obligations both to and of citizens. In this book, John Beckford shows how, by adopting the principles of an Intelligent Organisation, the state can thrive and meet the needs of its citizens. He proposes a complete rethink of the state as the enabler or provider of public services. In particular, he points to the failure of the public sector to significantly emulate the massive gains in productivity and customer focus experienced in both manufacturing and services (e.g. finance, retailing, insurance). Governance and all public services must be redesigned to align to the contemporary needs of the citizen and exploit the power of information to enable a transformation of their effectiveness, redefine efficiency and support human-based services in crucial areas. Each chapter provides the key learning points, a discussion of the problem in theory and practice, integrated case studies, and discussion points. Written in an accessible style, the book provides thought-provoking supplemental reading for masters and undergraduate students reading organisation theory, organisation development, political science, public administration, healthcare, information systems and business and management science.

The Intelligent Nation proposes a systemic and radical transformation of the organisation, management, ownership and performance of the services of the state by capitalising on the potential offered by contemporary information capability and fulfilling the rights and obligations both to and of citizens. In this book, John Beckford shows how, by adopting the principles of an Intelligent Organisation, the state can thrive and meet the needs of its citizens. He proposes a complete rethink of the state as the enabler or provider of public services. In particular, he points to the failure of the public sector to significantly emulate the massive gains in productivity and customer focus experienced in both manufacturing and services (e.g. finance, retailing, insurance). Governance and all public services must be redesigned to align to the contemporary needs of the citizen and exploit the power of information to enable a transformation of their effectiveness, redefine efficiency and support human-based services in crucial areas. Each chapter provides the key learning points, a discussion of the problem in theory and practice, integrated case studies, and discussion points. Written in an accessible style, the book provides thought-provoking supplemental reading for masters and undergraduate students reading organisation theory, organisation development, political science, public administration, healthcare, information systems and business and management science.

Quality Management: Reconsidered for the Digital Economy continues to provide a one-stop-shop for anyone studying the theory and practice of quality management. Exploring the essentials of management theory and the work of the ‘quality gurus’ who have formed the foundation of current practice, this new edition builds upon the previous editions’ unique critical perspective of quality.Key management practices are considered and extended, including lean thinking, systems methodologies, business process reengineering, organisational learning and intelligent organisations and service quality management. This edition plays particularly close attention throughout to the impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution on quality management, revisiting the meaning of ‘quality’ in an automated and data-driven world. Throughout, case studies have been rewritten including new examples from emerging economies, and practical tools incorporated to enhance learning and application.Replete with examples, vignettes and diagrams, this comprehensive textbook is ideal for those new to the field of quality management and for students on advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Operations Management.Online resources include chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides and a test bank of questions.

Quality Management: Reconsidered for the Digital Economy continues to provide a one-stop-shop for anyone studying the theory and practice of quality management. Exploring the essentials of management theory and the work of the ‘quality gurus’ who have formed the foundation of current practice, this new edition builds upon the previous editions’ unique critical perspective of quality.Key management practices are considered and extended, including lean thinking, systems methodologies, business process reengineering, organisational learning and intelligent organisations and service quality management. This edition plays particularly close attention throughout to the impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution on quality management, revisiting the meaning of ‘quality’ in an automated and data-driven world. Throughout, case studies have been rewritten including new examples from emerging economies, and practical tools incorporated to enhance learning and application.Replete with examples, vignettes and diagrams, this comprehensive textbook is ideal for those new to the field of quality management and for students on advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Operations Management.Online resources include chapter-by-chapter PowerPoint slides and a test bank of questions.

The Intelligent Organisation proposes a radically different way of designing organisations to capitalise on the potential offered by contemporary information capability. Integrated, coherent information is taken as a competitive advantage enabling synthesis of behaviour and processes in an organisation designed backwards from its customers to achieve desired outcomes. An Intelligent Organisation uses information to drive learning and adaptation at the level of individuals, tasks, processes and the whole organisation, to deliver transformational changes in business performance.This fully updated second edition explores how to enable this change through systemic reinvention. Drawing on proven organisational applications exploiting data, information and management science, and grounded in tested theory, this book is not about incremental improvement but about fundamentally rethinking the whole. Building on the first edition, two chapters have been added to apply the ideas of the Intelligent Organisation to the individual as well as to the nation. Further discussion on the current issues around technology and ethics have been incorporated, as well as review questions and improved pedagogy. The text is supported by updated case studies throughout and a dedicated website, www.intelligentorganisation.com, with support materials for lecturers. Uniquely bridging the gap between information systems and organisational behaviour, The Intelligent Organisation will be of particular significance to master’s and undergraduate students of Information Systems, Knowledge Management and Organisational Theory.