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BRASS Business Guide - MANAGEMENT

Sponsored by the BRASS Education Committee.

The Committee reviews this guide on a three-year cycle. To report broken links, please send an email to rusa@ala.org and put “BRASS Education Committee” in the subject line.

Last reviewed: July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025
Next Review: 2027-2028

Scope of the Guide:

The AMA Dictionary of Business and Management defines management as "the control of a company or organization with the goal of making it profitable and sustainable. Management is responsible for setting goals, overseeing change and growth, measuring performance, planning, cost control, pricing, conflict resolution, and quality control."  

It is an interdisciplinary field that draws upon business concepts and ideas from: marketing, economics, finance, insurance, transportation, accounting, computer technologies, information systems, engineering, and business law. In addition, mathematics, philosophy, sociology, and psychology have broad influence. Business reference for management researchers will tend to focus on navigating the relevant literature (scholarly, trade, and popular); however, needs can vary widely.

This guide provides resource suggestions for general management as well as for sub-topical areas of interest (business communications, innovation, leadership, and strategy) for managers. 

Suggested Search Terms:

Broader:

  • Management
  • Administration
  • Management Research
  • Empirical Studies in Management
  • Management Theory and Practice
  • Cross-Cultural Management
  • Business Management
  • Management Theory
  • Organizational Management
  • Strategic Management
  • Management Practices
  • Management Studies
  • Management Principles
  • Corporate Management
  • Management Science
  • Management Techniques

Narrower: 

  • Human Resources Management
  • Leadership in Management
  • Change Management
  • Project Management
  • Operations Management
  • Financial Management
  • Marketing Management
  • Innovation Management
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Risk Management
  • Corporate Governance
  • Knowledge Management
  • Performance Management

Management Models and Frameworks:

  • Management by Objectives (MBO)
  • Total Quality Management (TQM)
  • Lean Management
  • Six Sigma
  • SWOT Analysis
  • Balanced Scorecard
  • Porter’s Five Forces
  • McKinsey 7S Framework
  • Business Process Reengineering

Leadership and Organizational Behavior:

  • Leadership Styles
  • Organizational Culture
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Employee Motivation and Management
  • Team Management
  • Decision Making in Management

Related: mismanagement, toxic leadership, crisis management, management accounting, management controls

Trending:  Agile management, AI in management, ESG (environmental, social, governance) management, DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), remote or hybrid workplace management

Creating Search Strings: By combining terms with Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), you can refine your search and find highly relevant resources. For example:

  • Strategic Management AND Organizational Culture
  • Leadership in Management AND Human Resources
  • Financial Management OR Corporate Governance

General Management Reference Books:

General Management Books:

Popular management authors:

General Management Periodicals:

Databases for Finding General Management Articles:

The following resources are subscription databases that can be used to search for general management articles. Check your public or academic library to see if they subscribe to these databases.

General Management Websites:

General Management Associations & Organizations:

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