Selected Topics in Management with examples from the Food Industry: For the professionals with no formal management training Perspective from a practicing manager in food innovation

This book discusses selected topics in various aspects of management with real life examples from the food industry, especially from the innovation and R&D. The examples are mostly based on author’s experience gathered over fifteen years in various roles in the food industry. This book is written from a practitioner’s point of view and targeted to the people working in the research, development, innovation and related areas in the food industry, especially the professionals without formal management training. Chapter 1 and 2 discuss aspects of leadership and management, focusing on the impact of the environment and experience. Examples from various food companies have been presented to explain the concepts. Chapter 3 discusses two contemporary organisation structures - professional bureaucracy and adhocracy with examples from food R&D in industry and academia. Chapter 4 discusses aspects of management communication focusing on two important concepts - communication audit (Chapter 4.1) and community of practice (Chapter 4.2). The concepts have been explained using a scenario of the R&D department in an imaginary multinational food company.