Face, Harmony and Social Structure: An Analysis of Organizational Behavior Across Cultures Book

I gave this book four stars, because it's heavy on theory at the expense of examples. Conner has done a fantastic job of laying out pieces of change management. The tables he uses are excellent summaries of the chapter and make for easy reference for anyone who is attempting to keep key take-aways nearby. I especially found the chart on P. 290 that goes through the different stages a person could be in as they experience change. It really helps to explain why and where people get stuck and how they can pursue personal improvement and growth.

The reason I couldn't give it absolute full marks, though is that you get the impression that Conner has significant experience, but is sharing with you the culled knowledge only. Perhaps he can not share too much given client relationships. However, I feel like the book at times reads too dry because the personal stories, successes and failures are left out. I would have preferred more illustrative examples. Particularly with people issues, which the book drills on, knowing what some people do that is wrong and contrasting this with the correct way to do it is key.

He gives a couple of fantastic examples of a phone conversation of someone who is stuck at the Antabuse stage would say. (i.e. chance meeting vs. proactive approach). I would have loved lots more of these. Clearly the guy is an expert though.