Myths about management

In the book “Management Myths,” Matthew Stewart writes about the main theories of management and dwells on their criticism. He pays attention to the analysis of the scientific nature and practical usefulness of existing theories of management and business strategy, examines the causes and consequences of a shift in power in favor of top management of companies to the detriment of their owners and middle managers, and provides analysis and prospects for the development of business education.

In June 2006, Matthew Stewart published a provocative article in The Atlantic magazine with sharp criticism of modern management theory and business education. He advises anyone considering an MBA: “Don't waste your time going to business school; study philosophy instead. You will find the secrets of successful business in history, literature and classic works on life and nature, and not in the hastily cobbled together works of business school professors, consultants and business gurus.”

In the book “Myths about Management,” he, continuing the ideas of the article, writes about the basic theories of management and the features of the profession of management consultant. As a former consultant, Matthew Stewart has lived long enough in the belly of the monster to have a keen understanding of its nature. According to the author, the business world has become so consumed by its perverted value system and view of human nature that it has begun to threaten the foundations of society. Management science ignores the broader context in which business operates, preferring to promote the interests of individual enterprises, often to the detriment of the rest of society.

The goal of the book is to form a more humane view of business. Judging by such unorthodox books that have appeared in recent years as The Tipping Point, Freakonomics, Nudge, this direction in management science can be called a trend. Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4Hour Work Week and an influential figure in his generation, believes that everything we need to know about work and life was written centuries ago by the Roman philosopher Seneca in his essay On the Transience of Life.