Masters of Management: How the Business Gurus and Their Ideas Have Changed the World X2014;for Better and for Worse
by John Micklethwait (9780061771132)

In 1996, having completed a two-year research study, long-time Economist journalists and editors John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge published an explosive critique of management theory and its legions of evangelists and followers. It became a bestselling book, widely praised by reviewers and devoured by readers confused by the buzzwords and concepts the management "?ndustry? creates. When the book was published, ideas about ?re-engineering,? ?the search for excellence,? ?quality,? and ?chaos? both energised and haunted the world of business, just as ?the long tail,? ?black swans,? ?the tipping point,? ?the war for talent,? and ?corporate responsibility? do today. For decades, since the rise of MBA programs on university campuses across the country, the field of management has operated in a dubious space, as many of its framers clamour for respect within the academy while making millions of dollars peddling ideas, some brilliant and some nonsensical, in speeches, consulting arrangements, and books. While the original book was a damning critique ("a scalpel job," according to The Wall Street Journal), it also argued that much of management theory is valuable-making companies more efficient and productive, improving organisational life for workers, and providing sound ways for companies to innovate while defending more entrenched plans. To read this book, which has been updated to take into account the rise and fall of the Internet boom, the Great Recession of 2008, and the more recent developments in management theory, is a valuable crash course in the many ideas it dissects.

USD $29.99

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