Hawai'i business professor publishes book on satisfaction in the workplace

University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
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Posted: Feb 28, 2011

Richard Brislin
Richard Brislin
The Undreaded Job book cover
The Undreaded Job book cover
With high unemployment and rising workplace dissatisfaction, Kailua resident Richard Brislin shares his expertise in psychology and management in a revealing book to help people find satisfaction in the workplace and thrive in an imperfect work environment. Brislin is a professor at the Shidler College of Business at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in Honolulu, Hawai‘i.
 
His book, The Undreaded Job: Learning to Thrive in a Less-than-Perfect Workplace (published by Praeger, from the collections of ABC CLIO), is organized around common issues facing individuals in the workplace. Topics include imperfection in leaders and colleagues; a look at how people think; power and politics in the workplace; worker motivation, development and change; prejudice and diversity; social skills; and communication challenges.
 
According to Brislin, finding satisfaction, self-efficacy and a sense of self-fulfillment in the workplace is one of the most important factors contributing to a person’s sense of happiness and contentment with life.
 
The Undreaded Job examines various issues that lead to a greater understanding of leadership, power, motivation, group dynamics, social skills, and other topics central to an understanding of human behavior in organizations. The book also features research-based findings, specific steps, vignettes and case studies to make it easier for individuals to understand the underlying problems associated with the workplace.
 
“I have known people who awaken in the morning, day after day, with a feeling of dread because they have to go to their despised workplace,” said Brislin. “I hope this book contributes to a decrease in the number of people who get no satisfaction from their work. Most workplaces are imperfect in one way or another, but people can take steps to improve the possibility of a good person-situation fit.”
 
Richard Brislin is a Shidler Distinguished Professor of Management at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Shidler College of Business. He has spent nearly 40 years studying and researching intercultural behavior and has helped many individuals and organizations deal with different attitudes and values in their workplace. He has contributed to several journals and authored a textbook in cross-cultural psychology.
 
Over the years, Brislin’s books have been widely praised for their practical application in the workplace. His published works include Working with Cultural Differences,  Dealing Effectively with Diversity in the Workplace, and The Art of Getting Things Done: A Practical Guide to the Use of Power, which was a book-of-the-month club selection in 1992.
 
For more information on the book, visit http://www.abc-clio.com/product.aspx?id=53056 or contact Richard Brislin at rbrislin@hawaii.edu.