Management Theory

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the theory of management, arguing that without a strong theoretical basis, one cannot apply management processes on a successful level. The author defines and reviews the four dimensions of theory: model theory, typology theory, the strength of a theory depending on how interesting it is, and the presence of falsifiability being required for the existence of a theory. The paper also discusses the requirements that determine a strong theory: simplicity, interconnectedness, clarity and the provision of logical arguments.

From the Paper:

"Also, such models are considered to be just a matter of fashion. There are several authors that propose new management models based on successful businesses, models introduced and promoted as successful for any type of company and for any situation. This perception is clearly incorrect, given the fact that a business model cannot be applied to any type of situation, by any type of company, and at any time. Even more, as stated above, it is necessary to use several models for the same situation, in order to get a more precise opinion. Therefore, models cannot be considered strong theory, but good indicators instead, as they are useful when trying to make a decision."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Sutton, R. & Staw, B. (1995). What Theory Is Not? Notes. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://www.stanford.edu/~jchong/articles/msande380/Sutton%20and%20Staw%20-%20What%20Theory%20is%20Not.pdf.
• Recklies, Dagmar (2001). Management Models - what they can do and what they cannot do. The Manager. Recklies Management Project GmbH. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://www.themanager.org/resources/Managementmodels.htm.
• Rothman, Steven (2004). Notes on Explanatory Typologies in the Qualitative Study of International Politics. International Organization. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://www.uoregon.edu/~srothma1/QualMethods/Notes-ExplanatoryTypologicalTheory.pdf.
• Organizational studies (2007). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organizational_studies.
• Sutton, R. & Staw, B. (1995). What Theory Is Not. Administrative Science Quarterly. Retrieved January 14, 2008 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4035/is_n3_v40/ai_17781733/pg_6.

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