Management Theory: A Systems Perspective on Understanding Management Practice and Management Behavior

Théorie du management: une approche systémique pour comprendre les pratiques et les comportements des managers

John Davies

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Abstract: This paper seeks to develop a systems perspective on the interdependent relationships between academics, management theory and management practice. It re-examines issues raised by Ghoshal not only about how the uncritical acceptance of an ideologically-based gloomy vision of human nature has led to "bad management theories destroy good management practices", but also how practice can impact theory. The approach provides opportunity to reinterpret and reveal the systemic nature of processes labelled as the double hermeneutic by Giddens (1987) and as reciprocal determinism by Bandura (1978); and to draw a parallel with the role of theory in the decision sciences. The paper provides a constructive illustration of the use of the systems representational tools of system dynamics in order to develop a systems perspective on these matters; to identify the underpinning systemic structure that gives rise to Ghoshal's views; and to identify means of addressing these issues.

Keywords: Management theory; Management practice; Systems thinking; Double hermeneutic; Reciprocal determinism; Théorie du management; Pratiques des managers; Analyse systémique; Double herméneutique; Déterminisme réciproque (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-06-05
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Published in 2012, ⟨10.3917/vse.190.0095⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03920534

DOI: 10.3917/vse.190.0095

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