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The Age of Paradox
In this striking sequel to his best-selling book The Age of Unreason , Charles Handy shows how the changes he predicted are upon us. New developments in technology, radical changes in the global economy, and the relentless pursuit of productivity have altered forever our organizations, our careers, and our lifestyles. These changes are inevitable and irreversible, and they bring a host of new problems and paradoxes. This book identifies the unintended consequences of change and provides a set of guiding principles to cope with the paradoxes of modern life, leading to a more balanced existence for individuals, greater rewards for organizations, and a more just society for all.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Charles B. Handy
70 books138 followersCharles Brian Handy was an Irish author and philosopher who specialised in organizational behavior and management. Among the ideas he advanced are the "portfolio career" and the "shamrock organization" (in which professional core workers, freelance workers and part-time/temporary routine workers each form one leaf of the "shamrock").
Handy was rated among the Thinkers 50, a private list of the most influential living management thinkers. In 2001, he was second on this list, behind Peter Drucker, and in 2005, he was tenth. When the Harvard Business Review had a special issue to mark the publication's 50th anniversary Handy, Peter Drucker, and Henry Mintzberg were asked to write special articles.
In July 2006, Handy was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Law by Trinity College Dublin.
Handy was rated among the Thinkers 50, a private list of the most influential living management thinkers. In 2001, he was second on this list, behind Peter Drucker, and in 2005, he was tenth. When the Harvard Business Review had a special issue to mark the publication's 50th anniversary Handy, Peter Drucker, and Henry Mintzberg were asked to write special articles.
In July 2006, Handy was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Law by Trinity College Dublin.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 12, 2014
This book was written in the early nineties and is still current. All these management books telling you to change, do this, do that. Before you read anything of that, be sure to check out The Age of Paradox and it's predecessor The Age of Unreason. Imagine those books were published last year. They would be as valuable as they were 25 years ago when they were actually published.
He starts this book by stating that he might have been to optimistic in his views in The Age of Unreason. Nice! He reflects on capitalism, it's flaws, how to proceed. In order to survive, to grow, to evolve, you have to be able to handle paradox. Handy describes some techniques which might help you handle paradox.
Very insightful. Very inspiring.
I like Charles Handy.
(I always like to think that mr. Handy, were he not a great thinker and good writer, could always pick up a career in the adult video business. With a name like that you can't go wrong.)
He starts this book by stating that he might have been to optimistic in his views in The Age of Unreason. Nice! He reflects on capitalism, it's flaws, how to proceed. In order to survive, to grow, to evolve, you have to be able to handle paradox. Handy describes some techniques which might help you handle paradox.
Very insightful. Very inspiring.
I like Charles Handy.
(I always like to think that mr. Handy, were he not a great thinker and good writer, could always pick up a career in the adult video business. With a name like that you can't go wrong.)
April 1, 2015
First few chapters were interesting and provided thought-provoking insights on business. Unfortunately, it then degenerated into societal-level speculation and religion-fuelled preaching that provided little value. Read the first third of the book; no more.
March 6, 2021
Social paradoxes make life confusing because they are hard to control and make people feel impotent. What makes them confusing is that a paradox provides different outcomes for the same action, so that what worked before is not guaranteed to work again. This book tries to provide a guideline for how to think and respond to the paradoxes. The best advice is also really difficult to take which is to try out different things during a succeeding stage. Creating options before there is a need to change allows people and businesses from taking a risk of working with the same actions when they no longer work anymore. Handy provides a general request to take people as human beings rather than tools in the economy.
The sigmoid curve is a big proponent of this book. An S-shaped curve that can explain a multitude of historical and life events. During the rise on the curve, business and people need to look out for opportunities to change. This is hard to do because on the rise, what seems to be the best thing to do is to do what is working. Those who do not seek out opportunities to change, usually lose their success and have a hard time changing when they need to change to survive. Challenging assumptions which have worked before facilitates producing alternatives which can be used to cope with contradiction when they are arise. The initial actions cannot be abandoned early as it is the success of those actions which will provide the needed resources for the search in potential alternatives.
Another major lesson that Handy has to offer is about leadership, such as knowing when to compromise. Sticking to principles may result in reducing the efficacy of the very same principles. Knowing what to measure, or even better, knowing that what is measured is not the sole priority. A federalist organizational structure is promoted in this book as it enables local decisions to impact the whole institution. Trust in each member is needed as power resides with those who take actions.
There are a few problems with the book which are: 1) Paradox is not necessarily what the many examples are. Some are genuine contradictions which contain interesting philosophical conundrums, but generally they are all based on context and social structure rather than being dissonant. The examples are nonetheless extremely important distribution problems. 2) The book is trying to provide general life lessons but most of the examples are business examples. Having business behave in favor of society and their consumers rather than short term profit objectives is a marvelous goal, but the book needs to expand its concepts. There are non-business examples, but they are a minority. 3) The examples are themselves an example of survivorship bias. Taking different options is generally costly, which requires an already succeeding business. Only business that have money can take a risk, while a risk to those who are struggling may not be prudent. 4) Although the author claimed to have been vindictive in certainties and in this book was trying not to be, he did not go far enough. Different culture, which ironically he references and is supportive of, have different ways of resolving paradoxes. Handy’s guide to managing paradox may work in some cultures, but not others.
The sigmoid curve is a big proponent of this book. An S-shaped curve that can explain a multitude of historical and life events. During the rise on the curve, business and people need to look out for opportunities to change. This is hard to do because on the rise, what seems to be the best thing to do is to do what is working. Those who do not seek out opportunities to change, usually lose their success and have a hard time changing when they need to change to survive. Challenging assumptions which have worked before facilitates producing alternatives which can be used to cope with contradiction when they are arise. The initial actions cannot be abandoned early as it is the success of those actions which will provide the needed resources for the search in potential alternatives.
Another major lesson that Handy has to offer is about leadership, such as knowing when to compromise. Sticking to principles may result in reducing the efficacy of the very same principles. Knowing what to measure, or even better, knowing that what is measured is not the sole priority. A federalist organizational structure is promoted in this book as it enables local decisions to impact the whole institution. Trust in each member is needed as power resides with those who take actions.
There are a few problems with the book which are: 1) Paradox is not necessarily what the many examples are. Some are genuine contradictions which contain interesting philosophical conundrums, but generally they are all based on context and social structure rather than being dissonant. The examples are nonetheless extremely important distribution problems. 2) The book is trying to provide general life lessons but most of the examples are business examples. Having business behave in favor of society and their consumers rather than short term profit objectives is a marvelous goal, but the book needs to expand its concepts. There are non-business examples, but they are a minority. 3) The examples are themselves an example of survivorship bias. Taking different options is generally costly, which requires an already succeeding business. Only business that have money can take a risk, while a risk to those who are struggling may not be prudent. 4) Although the author claimed to have been vindictive in certainties and in this book was trying not to be, he did not go far enough. Different culture, which ironically he references and is supportive of, have different ways of resolving paradoxes. Handy’s guide to managing paradox may work in some cultures, but not others.
July 12, 2018
Interesting read.
Picked this up in the management section of the Cass Business Library, and whilst there are concepts which are useful to business analysis, it reads better as 'fireside tales' with one of the grandfathers of modern organisational theory.
Particularly like the emphasis placed on faith, pity it sounds like a rather wet liberal variant.
Picked this up in the management section of the Cass Business Library, and whilst there are concepts which are useful to business analysis, it reads better as 'fireside tales' with one of the grandfathers of modern organisational theory.
Particularly like the emphasis placed on faith, pity it sounds like a rather wet liberal variant.
January 30, 2021
This book seems dated since it makes some previsions about the priorities in corporate world, being written in 1994. Nonetheless the conceptualization of 'change' in the age of paradox is as applicable today.
Charles Handy goes through the concept of change by making sense of the circumstances, cultures, values towards a higher goal. I found this book to be sound and people focused.
Charles Handy goes through the concept of change by making sense of the circumstances, cultures, values towards a higher goal. I found this book to be sound and people focused.
April 27, 2025
This book explores the contradictions of modern organizational life, offering a humane and insightful perspective on navigating rapid technological and economic change. Though more philosophical than prescriptive, it anticipates trends like portfolio careers and emphasizes adapting thoughtfully to complexity. If is a bit old by now (1994), but no reflection in the author, of course.
April 4, 2016
Really good for people who want to think about how to "manage" the chaotic world of business all around us.
July 30, 2011
A fast read. Some interesting, though unmemorable, ideas.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews