MBO in Non-Business Organisations

MANAGEMENT by Objectives has emerged as one of the popular themes and there is a growing literature on the subject. However, until recently, most books on this subject were of "do it yourself' type. John Humble's "Management by Objectives in Action" (1971) represented a departure because it described the practice in several organisations. Then came "Management by Objectives ; Applications and Research*' (1973), by Carrol and Tosi, which represents the first serious attempt at research in the practice of Management by Objectives. The book under review would qualify for membership in the group of the second generation books on Management by Objectives because it contains a record of practice in an area which, for MBO application, still remains a new frontier. It reports on MBO application in Local Government in Britain. In a way, it opens a new area and attempts to reinforce the universal applicability of the concepts and methods of Management by Objectives.