Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1970.
Robert Townsend, former chairman and chief executive officer of Avis ("We try harder") authored his manual for business in 1970. Since then, the book consisting of 97 chapters ranging in length from a couple of lines to 10 pages, has become a legend of controversy.
Recently, in a talk given before mail order executives, Townsend put the reaction to the book in these terms: "The general reaction from the Establishment is silence. From others the comment is, 'Well, isn't it superficial.' My answer to these critics is, 'The book wasn't written for you, you slob. It was written for you successor.'"
It is this kind of irreverent writing style that makes the book stimulating, irritating and very entertaining. Townsend lacerates the much-revered Harvard Business School and says management-consultant firms, "Waste time, cost money, demoralize and distract your best people, and don't solve problems."
Townsend claims that if we are to save American (and world business), we must start dismantling organizations where we're serving them, leaving only the parts where they're serving us." This process is referred to by Townsend as "decluttering" and he says it must be done overnight. Personnel departments, legal departments, advertising departments, and purchasing departments must be eliminated.
Townsend's book is very easy to read, consisting of encyclopedia-like entries such as "Big Wheels in Little Companies," "Delegation of Authority," "Firing People," and "Meetings."
Townsend is regarded as a liberal in matters of corporate social policy. He opposes racial, religious and sexual discrimination in business. His business philosophy demands that stock ownership through options be much more widely distributed than they presently are.
One of the most fundamental hypotheses of the book is found in the section "People" on page 137. "There's nothing fundamentally wrong with...