Are Our Management Theories Outdated? (2024)

Summary.

Management thinking and practice have reached an inflection point. This “mid-life crisis” of management bears much resemblance to the same phenomenon in our own lives, but in this case we are preoccupied as much with the death of capitalism and our global system as we are with the mortality of our own bodies. Only by bidding adieu to the instrumental character of management can we start to reshape it into something new, something freer and more meaningful that’s focused more on what we’re trying to achieve and why, rather than how to do it faster and more efficiently.

• GP

  Gianpiero Petriglieri is an associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD. A medical doctor and psychiatrist by training, Gianpiero researches and practices leadership development. He directs the INSEAD Management Acceleration Programme, as well as leadership workshops for global organizations. You can learn more about Gianpiero’s work on his website, and follow him on Twitter (@gpetriglieri) and Facebook.