TABLE OF CONTENTS By the end of this chapter you should be able to:
describe and critically evaluate some of the key ideas underlying the management of people in changing contexts;
apply the notions of universalism and relativism to the key ideas and practice of modern management, especially to our understanding of 'best practice';
understand the importance of mindsets in management and how these influence managerial practice;
understand how ideas about management change, and how the economic environment and the influence of management thinkers can cause changes in our understanding of good practice in management;
critically evaluate the role of management thinkers in producing useful knowledge about management.
According to Peter Drucker, one of the most prominent business gurus of recent times, management is a timeless, human discipline. It has been used to build the Great Wall of China, to run empires and armies throughout history, and to guide the development of the joint stock company, which has been the key institution in the development of modern capitalism. During the later part of the twentieth century and the early part of the twenty-first century, management became one of the fastest growing occupations, because managers are usually (but not always) seen to be essential to organizational success (Bloom et al., 2005). Moreover, whether we work in the private, public or voluntary sectors of the economy, managers and their work touch virtually every aspect of our economic, social and, increasingly, political lives. Those of you who aren't yet a...
