Deconstructing Management Maxims, Volume II

A contrarian challenge to the status quo, this book vigorously champi­ons healthy skepticism in management theory and practice. Several com­mon management maxims — often taken for granted as truisms — are examined and debunked with evidence-based arguments. The constant repetition of these flawed tropes perpetuates their mythological status and limits personal and organizational performance. Eleven management maxims are rebuked using empirical data, original scholarship, literature reviews, field observations, and thoughtful opinions from numerous ex­perts. Far from a business as usual business book, Deconstructing Manage­ment Maxims has been researched with academic rigor yet written in an approachable style. Unafraid of taking on conventional business wisdom, it contains some controversial yet substantiated positions that will pro­voke critical thinking and debate. After all, sacred cows and long-believed tenets of management lore do not go away quietly. A clear message from this book is that you don’t have to believe everything you read or hear—be it in the classroom or at work! It offers a refreshing break from the constant drumbeat of dronish corporate and academic clichés. This book is best appreciated by readers wanting to think critically about important management phenomena.