Background
Kaufman, Herbert was born on September 21, 1922 in New York City. Son of Benjamin Harry and Gertrude (Meltzer) Kaufman.
( Death, taxes, and red tape. The inevitable trio no one ...)
Death, taxes, and red tape. The inevitable trio no one can escape. That wry sense of reality colors Herbert Kaufman's classic study of red tape, the bureaucratic phenomenon that all of us have encountered in some form―from the confounding tax form filled out annually to the maddeningly time-consuming wait at the driver's license bureau. The complaints about red tape, Kaufman concedes, are legion. It's messy, it takes too long, it lacks local knowledge, it is out of date, it makes insane demands, it increases costs, it slows progress. It is, in short, a burden and many times there is no measurable positive outcome. Kaufman takes us on an unblinking tour of the dismal landscape of red tape. But he also shows us another side of red tape, one we often forget. Red tape is how government protects us from tainted food, shoddy products, and unfair labor practices. It guarantees a social safety net for the elderly, the disabled, children, veterans, and victims of natural disasters. One person's red tape is another person's protection. This reissue is a Brookings Classic, a series of republished books for readers to revisit or discover, notable works by the Brookings Institution Press.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0815726600/?tag=2022091-20
("In this important and readable book, Kaufman develops a ...)
"In this important and readable book, Kaufman develops a theory of organizational survival and demise that could fundamentally alter traditional explanations of organizational persistence and systems maintenance. Kaufman views randomness rather than rationality as the key factor in organizational survival. Kaufman has lifted the discourse on organizational behavior to a new level". (David H. Rosenbloom, American University).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0934540934/?tag=2022091-20
( The environment of modern organizations is so complex a...)
The environment of modern organizations is so complex and volatile that we take for granted that organizational change is necessary for organizational survival. Yet the literature on organizations has for years described manifold obstacles to such change. First published in 1971, this book extracts from that literature and from experience a comprehensive yet concise overview of those barriers. Because these elements of the analysis are as valid now as when they were originally written, The Limits of Organizational Change is still widely read and cited nearly a quarter-century later. From the premises of this argument, Kaufman drew a number of conclusions about organizational survival and extinction, age and size, centralization and decentralization, and organizational evolution. Subsequent research and reflection induced him to refine and modify some of those inferences. The modifications are spelled out in a new preface that gives fresh relevance to his findings and his conjectures. Yet The Limits of Organizational Change is not a ponderous, labored work. As one reviewer remarked, it is “a delightful set of essays . . . a review of empirical research in a witty, conversational style. . . .” (The Rocky Mountain Social Science Journal). It is a book one can enjoy as well as profit from, and will be a useful tool for managers, organizational studies scholars, and sociologists.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560007680/?tag=2022091-20
(It is the rare book that remains in print for nearly fift...)
It is the rare book that remains in print for nearly fifty years, earning wide acclaim as a classic. The Forest Ranger has been essential reading for generations of professionals and scholars in forestry, public administration, and organizational behavior who are interested in the administration of public lands and how the top managers of a large, dispersed organization with multiple objectives like the Forest Service shape the behavior of its field officers into a coherent, unified program. Published as a special reprint in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Forest Service, The Forest Ranger is as relevant and timely today as when it was first issued in 1960. In addition to the original text, this special reprint of The Forest Ranger includes two new forewords and an afterword that highlight how much we have learned from Herbert Kaufman. The first foreword, by Harold K. (Pete) Steen, former president of the Forest History Society, considers the book's impact on the forestry community and explains its continued relevance in light of changes in the culture and mission of today's Forest Service. The second, by Richard P. Nathan, co-director of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, considers the book's contribution to our understanding of administrative and organizational behavior. A new afterword by author Herbert Kaufman describes how his landmark study came into being and offers a candid assessment of how his theories about the agency's operations and its future have held up over time. In 1960, the Forest Service had a welldeserved reputation for excellence, and The Forest Ranger was a seminal analysis of the how's and why's of its success. Kaufman also warned, however, that an organization so unified and well adapted to its environment would have difficulties navigating social change. He was right in his concerns: The environmental, civil rights, and women's movements have all presented challenges to the character and purpose of the Forest Service, ultimately changing the organization in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Now, as then, The Forest Ranger is a striking and prescient case study of how a complex organization operates and evolves over time.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933115270/?tag=2022091-20
( This widely acclaimed study of political power in a met...)
This widely acclaimed study of political power in a metropolitan community portrays the political system in its entirety and in balance—and retains much of the drama, the excitement, and the special style of New York City. It discusses the stakes and rules of the city's politics, and the individuals, groups, and official agencies influencing government action.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393096572/?tag=2022091-20
( Most of the people who keep tabs on the workings of the...)
Most of the people who keep tabs on the workings of the federal government, no matter what the reasons for their interest, seem to take for granted the power and autonomy of the chiefs of the bureaus that make up the executive branch. Because so much is taken for granted, there have not been many studies of what the chiefs actually do day by day. Of all the participants in the governmental process who wield--or are thought to wield--great influence, bureau chiefs are among the least examined. Believing that he could narrow this gap in the materials on the federal government somewhat, Herbert Kaufman set out to report his observations of six bureau chiefs at their jobs in the course of a year. The group consisted of the commissioners of the Internal Revenue Service, the Customs Service, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Social Security Administration; the chief of the Forest Service; and the administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service--a set diversified enough to include a wide variety of organizational situations and experiences, yet with enough in common to allow comparison and generalization. The objective of his research was to describe the chief's activities so as to explain how they exercise their power. And he hoped to find out whether they are as powerful as they are said to be. From his efforts emerges a detailed picture of the work of the bureau leaders and of their role in their agencies and in the government generally. The picture reveals that some of the common beliefs about these officials, and perhaps about the system as a whole, are not altogether accurate. Kaufman traces the implications of his findings for organizing the executive branch, for training administrators, and for organization theory.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0815748442/?tag=2022091-20
Kaufman, Herbert was born on September 21, 1922 in New York City. Son of Benjamin Harry and Gertrude (Meltzer) Kaufman.
Bachelor of Specialized Studies, City College of New York, 1942. Master of Arts, Columbia University, 1946. Doctor of Philosophy, Columbia University, 1950.
Research analyst, President's Committee Civil Rights, 1947;
research associate, Institute Public Administration, New York City, 1948-1949;
lecturer government, City College of New York, 1951-1953;
member of faculty, Yale University, 1953-1969;
professor political science, Yale University, 1963-1969;
department chairman, Yale University, 1964-1967;
senior fellow, Brookings Institution, Washington, 1969-1983;
guest scholar, Brookings Institution, Washington, 1984-1986. Visiting scholar Russell Sage Foundation, New York City, 1981-1982. O'Neill professor American politics Boston College, 1986-1987.
Consultant United States Bureau Budget, Economics Stblzn.Agy., Mayor New York City Committee Management Survey, State Committee to Study Orgnl. Structure Government New York City, New York State Health Department, Mayor New York City Task ForceCity Personnel.
( Most of the people who keep tabs on the workings of the...)
( Most of the people who keep tabs on the workings of the...)
( This widely acclaimed study of political power in a met...)
("In this important and readable book, Kaufman develops a ...)
(Most people talk about red tape as thought it were some k...)
( The environment of modern organizations is so complex a...)
(It is the rare book that remains in print for nearly fift...)
(Foundations Of Modern Political Science Series.)
(Special Reprint Edit edition)
( Death, taxes, and red tape. The inevitable trio no one ...)
(Special Reprint Edit)
(259 pages)
Member New Haven Plan Commission, 1963-1966, chairman, 1964-1966. Chairman New Haven Housing Authority, 1966-1967. Served with Army of the United States, 1942-1946.
Member American Academy Arts and Sciences.
Married Ruth L. Davis, March 19, 1967.