Title: The philosopher and the manager
Authors: Jean-Etienne Joullié
Addresses: International College of Management, Sydney, 151 Darley Road, Manly, New South Wales 2095, Australia
Abstract: This paper revisits the argument that management academics and managers benefit from being knowledgeable in Western philosophy. Salient debates in management research and education that have emerged over the last decades are first summarised. The theoretical uncertainties that these debates have highlighted are then located within a brief overview of mainstream Western philosophical traditions. Philosophical investigations into management theory help discern the origins of some of the difficulties that plague management theories, paving the way towards their clarification and resolution.
Keywords: Western philosophy; management theory; rationalism; empiricism; romanticism; existentialism.
DOI: 10.1504/IJMCP.2014.066898
International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 2014 Vol.8 No.4, pp.197 - 208
Received: 10 Nov 2012
Accepted: 27 Jan 2014
Published online: 15 Jan 2015 *