Review of Management February 1969 book of abstractions. It was not written in the proverbial 'ivory tower'. Rather, it is a practical, down to earth, easy to understand and assimilate, 'how to' approach to effective leadership." Variations of this statement are found in the other books under review. The authors of these books are committed to the new system and their books are designed to convert others. The case histories given in them are success stories. As a result, they ignore the conceptual issues and do not display enough analytical depth and objectivity. Finally, the whole development of Management by Objectives has taken place in the context of Western, predominantly American, business management and some of the authors have chosen to portray it as a great bulwark of the strength of the free enterprise system. It goes without saying that however effective this approach may have been found elsewhere, there is no room for a turnkey operation. Indian managers must, therefore, analyse their current practices and the organisational and social climate in order to relate Management by Objectives to the Indian situation.
