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- Title
Management: The work that dares not speak its name.
- Authors
Brocklehurst, Michael; Grey, Chris; Sturdy, Andrew
- Abstract
The status of management and managers has fluctuated over the years, arguably reaching its high point in the mid-20th century but since declining. This article explores how managers respond to this decline in status. It presents and discusses the findings of a study of managers (who are also Executive MBA students) who unanimously avoided describing themselves as 'managers'. The article argues that this response reflects both the overuse of the designation 'manager' as well as derogatory connotations of the term. This derogation is rooted in the nature of managerial work and its associations with bureaucracy and inflexibility. But while features of bureaucracy such as hierarchy remain, then these managers find justification for their status in alternative self-descriptions such as 'professional', 'entrepreneur' and 'project leader'. The article concludes by considering some of the implications for management education and learning.
- Subjects
EXECUTIVES; BUSINESS education; MASTER of business administration degree; MANAGEMENT controls; MANAGEMENT science; DECISION making; ENTREPRENEURSHIP; LEADERSHIP; BUREAUCRACY; INDUSTRIAL management
- Publication
Management Learning, 2010, Vol 41, Issue 1, p7
- ISSN
1350-5076
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/1350507609347590