Management Philosophy

The Handbook of Philosophy of Management addresses the philosophical foundations of management in theory and practice. It covers established branches of philosophy, such as aesthetics, epistemology, moral philosophy, political and social philosophy, philosophy of education, philosophy of practice, and philosophy of science. The Handbook’s broad scope maps out the field and provides a forum where philosophy can be meaningfully applied to the study of management in all its forms. The original, peer-reviewed research published here sheds new light on the complexities of management theory and practice, beyond what hitherto has been possible with the sole application of the social sciences. As philosophy provides a meta-framework for moving beyond paradigm fragmentation within management research and education, this allows researchers and practitioners to find harmony (and discord) in the perspectives revealed by a philosophical lens.

Irrespective of whether one thinks of philosophy explicitly, each organizational researcher is a philosopher. A philosophical position is predicated on a variety of approaches relating to ontology, epistemology, methodology, ethics, and political positions. Depending on where one stands with regard to these philosophical building blocks, their orientation may be characterized as positivist, realist, critical-realist, and constructivist, with pragmatist and political considerations weighing in as well. Also, management theories all inhabit the same spectrum of philosophical positions that enrich them and add to their relevance to the world of firms and organizations. This book provides a broad-based commentary on the terrain of philosophy as it pertains to management studies, especially for the relatively unfamiliar organizational theorist. This book serves as a succinct overview of the field of management philosophy as well as a roadmap for those readers who wish to explore the terrain further. The book argues that all knowledge inquiry invokes philosophy and philosophical thinking, and that the artificial separation between philosophy and social science is fallacious. Just as philosophy is everywhere, so is power, and for better or worse they go hand in hand. Hence, philosophical positions are political positions. The authors do not shy from addressing the politics of their own research practice or the subjects of their inquiry. Philosophy and Management Studies targets a new generation of management researchers, whose interest in philosophy vastly exceeds their resources to engage with it, partly because of their unfamiliarity with its often mystifying and outsider-unfriendly conventions. It seeks to bridge the chasm between interest in philosophy in organizational studies and knowledge about it. It is not for the trained philosopher or the expert, but for a relative newcomer.

This book opens a new field within business science: management philosophy. It presents an uncompromising picture of the real leader through a set of leadership virtues, focusing on human duties, not on human rights. The book demonstrates that only through philosophy it is possible to establish a genuine science of management, overcoming the pressures of functionalism, opportunism and pragmaticism, inherent in the hyper-modern corporation shaped by high-tech and information advantages.

This book discusses management philosophy based on case studies in companies in Japan, Korea and China. In an era of increasing globalization and the internet society, it is time for companies to re-examine their mission and existence. Repeated corporate scandals and global environmental issues have revealed the need for CSR (corporate social responsibility) and business ethics. At the same time, cross-cultural conflicts in the workplace highlight the necessity for management to integrate multiple values. In other words, the importance of value in a company has to be reconsidered. This timely book re-evaluates the issue of management philosophy in the context of the global society. It approaches the issue of management philosophy from the perspective of keiei-jinruigaku, the anthropology of business administration, presenting interdisciplinary research consisting of fields such as management studies, anthropology, religious studies and sociology. By focusing on the phenomena of transmission of management philosophy to other areas by cultural translation, the book reveals the dynamic process of the global transmission of management philosophy.

Managing as a form of human action has an inherent link with philosophy, which is also concerned with choosing the right action and the best way to lead our lives. Management theory and philosophy can join forces in epistemology (the philosophy of knowledge), ethics, and cultural theory. The epistemology of management concerns the question of how management can improve its ability to create knowledge about managing companies and about using management theory in the task of managing. Management ethics investigates the question of what the right management actions are. The cultural theory of management examines how corporate culture can increase the cooperation within the firm and how the cultural surplus value of products and brand management can increase the firm’s value creation in its products. This book introduces the readers to central approaches in this new field, which represents a synthesis of management and philosophical theory.

Rapidly growing technology and globalization have put tremendous pressure on management teams. Technological developments with far reaching implications on social, economic, political, and environmental ecosystems cannot be underemphasized. Currently, organizations are trying to be more inclusive and aware of diversity, rapid technology growth, and globalization along with remotely operating businesses for profit motivation. The delegative and individual employee-based management styles of the past have become obsolete. With globalization, virtual offices, and rapid technology growth, management challenges have become an expensive force to reckon with. In this book, the authors address the recent trends in management in global environments. The authors explore issues such as managing virtual teams, gender and management, e-commerce, biased financing, quantum computing, and disruption in the financial services industry. The book will serve as a valuable resource to researchers interested in the future management challenges facing global organizations.

Taylorism was criticised for its over-simplistic view of what motivated the worker. Oliver Sheldon's theme was that though Taylorism had helped the development of a science of management, such work should not detract from the predominantly human job of the manager to manage. His work prefigures the human relations approach to management theory of Elton Mayo and F. J. Roethlisberger in rejecting the notion that economic incentives largely explain employee behaviour.

?The founder of the Panasonic Group presents his thoughts about management from a variety of angles in this book. The ideas he mentions are not derived out of academic inquiry, but reflect the lessons he learned from his own management experience. He believes that building a business based on such a philosophy will lead to success. Konosuke Matsushita was poor, frequently got sick, and no real business experience, but did drive and passion. He started his company with one product, an electric light socket of his own design. He tells us, “There is one important thing to remember. Every manager needs to adopt an approach that makes use of their unique that best suits your own personal characteristics. Every single person has different inherent quality. Hatching that approach is the path that will lead to success. Practical Management Philosophy demonstrates how managers think about management and how important the management philosophy is when you do business. 1. First Establish a Management Philosophy 2. Always Think in Terms of Seisei Hatten 3. Understand Human Nature 4. Fully Understand the Mission 5. Follow Natural Law 6. Regard Profits as a Reward 7. Promote Mutual Prosperity 8. Assume the Public is Right 9. Believe You Will Succeed 10. Strive for Autonomy 11. “Dam” Management 12. Sound Management Practice 13. Be Committed to Specialization 14. People Before Products 15. Collective Wisdom 16. Harmony in Opposition 17. Creative Management 18. Start Anew Every Day 19. Be politically Aware 20. The Sunao Mind *PHP Institute, Inc. has a large collection of books, audios, videos, and other material on Konosuke Matsushita, the founder of Panasonic and PHP. 【PHP研究所】