![]() |
Charles HandyIrish author and philosopher specializing in organizational behavior and management
Country:
![]() |
Content:
- Charles Handy: Irish Author and Philosopher
- Recognition and Achievements
- Early Life and Education
- Career
- Contributions to Management Education
- Accomplishments and Personal Life
Charles Handy: Irish Author and Philosopher
Charles Handy is an Irish author and philosopher specializing in organizational behavior and management. He has written several books that have gained immense popularity among professionals and general readers alike, thanks to their vivid metaphors and clear and simple writing style that make them accessible even without specialized knowledge. Handy's interests range from religion and philosophy to workplace organization.
Recognition and Achievements
Handy has been included in the "50 Thinkers" list, which recognizes the most influential living management theorists. In 2001, he ranked second on the list, second only to Peter Drucker, and in 2005, he moved down to the tenth spot. When the Harvard Business Review prepared a special edition for its 50th anniversary, Handy, Peter Drucker, and Henry Mintzberg were asked to write special articles. In July 2006, Charles Handy was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Law by Trinity College, Dublin.
Early Life and Education
Charles Handy was born in 1932 in Ireland and was raised in humble circumstances in the family of an Anglican priest serving in a poor rural parish in County Kildare. He studied at Bromsgrove School in England before attending Oriel College, Oxford.
Career
Handy began his career as a marketing executive for the Royal Dutch Shell oil and gas company and was sent to work on drilling rigs in the jungles of Borneo. He later became the head of the marketing department, but the prospect of a transfer to Liberia in 1972 led him to resign and take up a position as a professor of management at the newly-founded London Business School, which he helped establish in 1967. Handy retired from teaching at the business school in 1994. From 1977 to 1981, he briefly worked in government but then returned to pursue a career as a writer, speaker, and consultant. Since 1981, Handy has been widely published and frequently appears on radio and television.
Contributions to Management Education
Handy spent a year in Boston, observing the development of business management education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon his return, he played a key role in the formation of the London Business School, which offers management education. He became a leading British expert in the field of management and played a crucial role in shaping management education in the 1960s and 1970s.
Accomplishments and Personal Life
In 1987-1988, Handy served as the Chairman of the Royal Society of Arts. He has been awarded honorary degrees from Bristol Polytechnic, University of East Anglia, University of Essex, University of Dublin, and other institutions. In 2000, Handy was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Charles Handy is married to Elizabeth Handy, a professional photographer who has collaborated with him on some of his books, including "The New Alchemists" and "A Journey through Tea." Their son, Scott Handy, is an actor who works with the Royal Shakespeare Company.