The puzzle of modern economics : science or ideology?

 by Roger Backhouse. Economics: people either praise it or condemn it. Are such judgments fair? Backhouse, noted historian of economics and methodologist, is well positioned to respond to the question. He views it as a puzzle, asking why an analytical method accepted by so many is also the object of such derision. He begins by examining four areas in which science and ideology are confronted: globalization, the creation of new markets, the introduction of a market economy, and the financial world. He then provides a brief history of the development of economics as a mode of analysis that helps explain how market economies work and concludes with a chapter addressing the science versus ideology question. Throughout, Backhouse implements the patient, well-balanced hand of someone familiar with handling intellectual puzzles. The puzzle, in fact, is less problematic than it appears. Economics performs best when the focus is narrow, its tools honed on assessing the benefits of trade or the structuring of well-functioning auctions. However, when wider questions of equity and welfare are considered, economics provides less guidance. Thus, both praise and condemnation are probably misplaced. An excellent resource for anyone deciding whether to trust economic knowledge. --Choice (Check Catalog)

Keep the change : a clueless tipper's quest to become the guru of the gratuity

 by Steve Dublanica. For four years Dublanica authored the blog Waiter Rant, chronicling the frustrations of an anonymous waiter working in an upscale New York restaurant. In 2008 he went public with his best-selling book, Waiter Rant, unmasking annoying foodies, bad tippers, and the bad behavior of restaurant staff. Gratuities were one of the hottest, most-talked-about subjects of that book, so Dublanica ran with it. A short history of the custom reveals that tipping was a particularly European practice that we took to new heights in the U.S. Dublanica shines light on those awkward tipping situations that we all face at one time or another: tip the parking valet when he takes your car, delivers it, or both? How much and in what fashion do you tip your hotel maid? And what about tip creep, those ubiquitous tip jars that are springing up in every coffee shop and fast-food restaurant these days? Dublanica offers tips on how to tip hairstylists, car-wash attendants, auto mechanics, deliverymen, and more, including the joint where tipping rules: the strip club. Valuable information is interspersed with amusing anecdotes and interviews. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The psychology of personnel selection

 by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. Chamorro-Premuzic and Furnham (both, Univ. College London, UK) provide an up-to-date review of the psychological research on personnel selection. They cover the usefulness, reliability, and validity of various personnel selection tests, such as interviews, biodata, letters of recommendation, graphology, situational judgment tests, and grade point averages. They also analyze the viability of constructs associated with personnel selection, such as intelligence, personality traits, creativity, leadership, and talent. A large chapter on personality traits concludes that conscientiousness, one of the big five personality traits, has positive effects on work. Personality self-reports are subject to faking. Useful bar charts and tables are scattered throughout the text. Though scientific, the text is readable. This volume constitutes a literature review, featuring works from such leading scholarly journals as the Journal of Applied Psychology and Personnel Psychology, which often incorporate meta-analytical statistical techniques that compare the results of many research studies. For readers also wanting more practical planning tools, checklists, work sheets, and job descriptions associated with personnel selection, see David Dubois and William Rothwell's Competency-Based Human Resource Management (CH, Sep'04, 42-0399). Summing Up: Recommended. Scholars, upper-division undergraduate and graduate students, and business practitioners. --Choice (Check Catalog)

Intrinsic motivation at work : what really drives employee engagement

 by Kenneth W. Thomas. According to Thomas (emer., business and public policy, Naval Postgraduate School), intrinsic motivation is the key to employee engagement. He defines engagement as the degree to which people actively self-manage their work. Extrinsic rewards such as salaries, bonuses, commissions, perks, and benefits do not come from the work itself, and these rewards lead to compliance, not to commitment or initiative. In contrast, Thomas relates how intrinsic rewards build on an employee's sense of meaningfulness, perceptions of freedom to make choices, feelings of competence, and sense of progress toward a collaborative climate and achievement of goals. He advises that leaders should learn to manage their own intrinsic rewards and ensure they play a positive role in developing them in others. They should also listen to employees, deemphasize money, and provide credible evidence for the intrinsic rewards. The volume contains quotes from major management researchers, and various charts and tables are scattered throughout the text. Each chapter concludes with questions for reflection. The three-volume Building High-Performance People and Organizations (CH, May'09, 46-5118), edited by Martha Finney, provides greater detail about employee engagement. Thomas's book offers practitioner-style reading with an academic base and scholarly references. --Choice (Check Catalog)

The progressive discipline handbook : smart strategies for coaching employees

 by Margie Mader-Clark and Lisa Guerin. (Product Description from publisher -- This guide to employee discipline explains the concept of progressive discipline and how it works, as well as how to avoid legal trouble. Mader-Clark, a human resources professional, and Guerin, an attorney specializing in employment law, describe how to decide when and if it is needed, evaluating problems, choosing an appropriate response, communicating, handling reactions, and documenting discussions and decisions. Each step of the process is detailed, including coaching and written and verbal warnings, and how to terminate employment if necessary. The CD contains a PowerPoint training presentation, audio of sample exchanges between managers and employees, exercises, and templates and forms. The audience for the book is supervisors, managers, executives, business owners, and human resources professionals primarily in the private sector. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., (Check Catalog)