Elements of a Philosophy of Management and Organization (Ethical Economy)

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. Front Matter....Pages I-VIII Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Philosophy of Management: Philosophy as a Challenge to Business, Management as a Challenge to Philosophy....Pages 3-18 Philosophy of Management: Concepts of Management from the Perspectives of Systems Theory, Phenomenological Hermeneutics, Corporate Religion, and Existentialism....Pages 19-44 Front Matter....Pages 46-46 Critical Realism, Organization Theory, Methodology, and the Emerging Science of Reconfiguration....Pages 47-77 Epistemological Issues and Aspects of Organizational Practice....Pages 79-107 Front Matter....Pages 110-110 Values and the Limits of Economic Rationality: Critical Remarks on ‘Economic Imperialism’....Pages 111-136 Business Engagement, Mental Models, and Philosophy in the Globalized World....Pages 137-161 Front Matter....Pages 164-164 The Ethical Consequences of Brand Management: A System-theoretical Approach....Pages 165-180 Back Matter....Pages 181-187 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 This work introduces readers to central approaches in the field of management ethics, which represents a synthesis of management and philosophical theory