Management Mumbo-Jumbo: A Skeptics’ Dictionary

Cover......Page 1
Contents......Page 8
Preface......Page 12
Introduction......Page 14
Fads in management......Page 16
Management science?......Page 22
Management training......Page 23
Assumptions about people......Page 27
Conclusion......Page 28
Ability and ambition......Page 30
Above the line......Page 32
All interventions are equally effective......Page 34
Atmospherics......Page 36
Awards, citations and gongs......Page 39
The blame culture......Page 41
Breaking bad news......Page 44
The bright boss......Page 46
Casuistry, sophistry and spin......Page 48
Choosing management courses......Page 50
Compulsory training......Page 53
Correcting cock-ups......Page 55
The curse of perfectionism......Page 57
Damned if you do and … don\'t......Page 59
Dom and sub......Page 61
Energy at work......Page 63
Engagement to divorce......Page 65
Evangelists at work......Page 67
Everyone is a winner......Page 69
Family business......Page 71
From private to public......Page 73
Fundamentalist gurus......Page 75
The gullible executive......Page 77
How not to use consultants......Page 79
Human remains......Page 81
Incommunicado......Page 84
The incubation period......Page 86
Inoculating the workforce......Page 88
Integrity tests......Page 90
Job fit in plain speak......Page 93
Living in Sweden......Page 96
Managing the post-materialist employee......Page 98
Management psychiatry......Page 101
Money as a motivator......Page 105
Nepotism, corruption and incompetence......Page 108
Networming......Page 111
Nyet: stopping progress......Page 113
Odd places: university management......Page 115
Orality at work......Page 118
Organizational defense mechanisms......Page 120
Passive–aggressive bureaucrats......Page 123
The personality of organizations......Page 126
Professional recruiters......Page 128
Protecting your legacy......Page 130
A psychological MOT......Page 132
Rank sensitivity......Page 134
Recruitment to betrayal......Page 136
A rock and a hard place......Page 138
Seeking the savior......Page 140
Shift work......Page 142
Space exploration......Page 144
Specialists and generalists......Page 147
Speeches, sermons and seminar presentations......Page 150
Striking a balance......Page 152
The task and the process......Page 154
Telephone tell-tales......Page 156
Titular realities......Page 158
Trust at work......Page 160
Uncertainty avoidance......Page 162
Understanding understatement......Page 164
Why would anyone want to work for you?......Page 166
Workplace spirituality......Page 168
Manifestos......Page 170
Mantras......Page 172
Missions......Page 177