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But at the same time, the firm has very high performance standards and employees sometimes complain about too much pressure. As Hastings says, “We treat our top performers very well. ” Today Netflix continues to be at the forefront of innovation and has established a strong position in the emerging video-on-demand market. In 2013, the company obtained exclusive rights to distribute the original series The House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, Orange Is the New Black, and the revival of Arrested Development.

He simply wanders around headquarters, talking to people about their work and their ideas, and occasionally grabbing an empty chair or desk to check his e-mail. When he needs solitude to think and ponder major decisions, he retreats to a rooftop “cube” with four glass walls overlooking the Santa Cruz mountains. 1 This book is about managers like Reed Hastings and the work they do. In this chapter, we examine the general nature of management, its dimensions, and its challenges. We explain the basic concepts of management and managers, discuss the management process, and summarize the origins of contemporary management thought.

Administrative, or general, managers are not associated with any particular management specialty. Probably the best example of an administrative management position is that of a hospital or clinic administrator. 7 Many organizations have specialized management positions in addition to those already described. Public relations managers, for example, deal with the public and media for firms such as Facebook and the Dow Chemical Company to protect and enhance the image of their organizations. R&D managers coordinate the activities of scientists and engineers working on scientific projects in organizations such as Google, Shell Oil, and NASA.