Abrahamson, E. (1996). Management Fashion. Academy of...

Management Fashion Author(s): Eric Abrahamson Source: The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 21, No. 1 (Jan., 1996), pp. 254-285 Published by: Academy of Management Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/258636 . Accessed: 24/08/2013 23:34 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. .†¦show more content†¦In another article, for instance, I adopted Blumers (1969) argument that fashion demand is guided by managers collective aesthetic tastes (Abrahamson, 1991).Likewise, Mintzberg (1979) observed that swings between organizational centralization and decentralization resemble the movements of womens hemlines. The popular management press is even more cynical and strident, attributing the demand for management fashions to other sociopsychological forces, such as childlike excitement (Business Week, 1986), mass conformity (Wall Street Journal, 1993),and even to something akin to manias or episodes of mass hysteria (HarvardBusiness Review, 1994).These academic and popular sociopsychological treatments of management fashion cast it as something from which management scholars should remain disengaged, lest they join the ranks of snake-oil salesmen. I argue in this article that management fashion should not be treated as a special case of aesthetic fashion. Aest hetic and management fashions differ in two important ways, and failing to recognize these differences obscures why management scholars must not only study, but also intervene in the management-fashion-setting process. First, whereas aesthetic fashions need only appear beautiful and modern, fashionable management techniques must appear both rational (efficient means to important ends) and progressive (new as well as improved relative to older management techniques). Many managementShow MoreRelatedTotal Quality Management1420 Words   |  6 Pagesontents * 1 Definition * 2 Origins * 3 TQM in manufacturing * 4 TQM and contingency-based research * 5 TQM, just another Management fad? * 6 References * 7 See also * 8 External links Definition TQM is composed of three paradigms: * Total: Organization wide * Quality: With its usual Definitions, with all its complexities (External Definition) * Management: The system of managing with steps like Plan, Organize, Control, Lead, Staff, etcRead MoreBusiness Process Reengineering3564 Words   |  15 Pagesrecent developments in management. The cross-functional team, for example, has become popular because of the desire to re-engineer separate functional tasks into complete cross-functional processes.[citation needed] Also, many recent management information systems developments aim to integrate a wide number of business functions. Enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, knowledge management systems, groupware and collaborative systems, Human Resource Management Systems and customer relationshipRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesis an online assessment and preparation solution for courses in Principles of Management, Human Resources, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including bui lt-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S.Read MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell Leadership