Global Organization Design Society is pleased to host this authoritative and comprehensive Introduction and Bibliography on Jaques' work - now in its Fifth Edition.

This compilation is authored by Ken Craddock.

About the RO Bibliography

In Ken Craddock's own words,

"This Bibliography is in two parts because it grew too big. As you follow your own trail of research into this material you will begin to sense the dynamics that have been surrounding this theory, its power, and why it is resisted. I believe this theory is fundamental to the future of organization studies."

Part I

This is an Introduction to requisite organization theory, to the bibliography itself, and to Elliott Jaques and Wilfred Brown, the founders of this theory. It provides a context for the articles, chapters and books in each section of Part II and shows why this theory is so important and so expansive. The dissertations have their own introductory essays. The one for the theses written explicitly on the theory is extensive. I have also tried to point out some of the features of its future development.

The second half of Part I consists of topic lists. Some of the works in Part II were published as part of a series. Others I have brought together to show their substance as a body of knowledge or to show their power, such as replication studies and cases.

Note - This searchable Introduction PDF file is approximately 1.0 MB in size to download and is 250 pages in length to print.

Part II

This Fifth Edition of the Annotated Bibliography gathers in one place more than 50 years of studies on R.O. theory and application. The widest set of keywords have been used to scan the major search engines (and many minor ones). It includes over 2,400 research studies directly on the theory (including 90 PhDs) and over 1,600 related studies.

This collection will guide your research and your practice.

New findings include:

• its adaption countrywide by the seven Japanese keiretsu groups in 1969;
• its introduction to GE in the 1970s and its use in selecting its top managers and CEOs since then;
• the transfer of the Japanese system to the U.S. and the U.K. (under Japanese management);
• its adoption by some 400 firms in the East and some 300 firms in the West;
• confirming research on high-performance work places and reformed personnel policies showing they cause higher profits; and
• the Detroit “Big Three” do not use it.

Firms can use the Bibliography to...

• verify the concepts behind the theory;
• to discover its practical links to other strategic initiatives such as total quality, six sigma, value engineering, stress reduction, and talent development;
• to locate precedents within the industry;
• to sharply reduce internal sexism, racism and ageism; and
• to validate claims by CEOs who have adopted R.O. that it generates top-line growth of 30% and more a year.

Note - This fully searchable Bibliography PDF file is approximately 4.5 MB in size to download and is 1,352 pages in length to print.

This is the fifth edition of the Annotated Bibliography. (Updated: August 2009)

(The fourth edition was revised in March 2007.)

(The third edition was revised in May 2004)

Download the PDFs

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Ken Craddock - Biography

Kenneth Craddock
530 East 84th Street, 1F
New York, NY 10028 USA

H: (212) 628-2986 
W: (212) 650-6204 
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ken Craddock is a consultant specializing in requisite organization and in quality. He has developed recommendations integrating the operational concepts of Elliott Jaques and W. Edwards Deming. He provides support to managers for organizational transformation to increase effectiveness and improve strategy. In 2007 he joined the faculty of City College of New York (CUNY) where he teaches strategy, microeconomics, management of public organizations, and requisite management skills.  

Craddock completed this on-line annotated research bibliography on Requisite Organization after his M.A. in Business History at Columbia University. His thesis was Requisite Leadership: A Model of Organization Effectiveness, which described the development of this theory. 

While at Columbia he initiated surveys which led to the first revision of the business school curriculum in 30 years, made proposals to improve morale, wrote cases and helped develop new courses. He has been a guest lecturer at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business on quality, strategy, and requisite organization design. 

In the early 1990s Craddock was assistant to W. Edwards Deming, the man who gave quality to the Japanese. He has consulted to firms of varying sizes, including a Fortune 100 firm, where he trained mid-level managers on creative thinking in week-long sessions. He has also worked as an analyst and management planner, as a consultant for metropolitan government, and supervised development of a PC-based tracking system to monitor services provided to clients. He developed the first MBO business plans for 16 offices. 

He also holds an M.P.A. degree in Management from the Kennedy School at Harvard. He has published 8 articles and papers and made numerous conference presentations.

Please contact/e-mail Ken Craddock at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your comments, suggestions, corrections, new material or encouragement in his ongoing work.