I was surprised that LO folks didn't know the origins of synectics. I was
shocked to meet a person doing a dissertation on the Delphi technique who
didn't know its origin. In a scholarly field, this would be a scandal,
but management isn't a scholarly field. Also, in a world full of trivia,
ignorance of inessentials is forgivable. So what's essential?
Philosophy is something that Plato invented and which he says differs from
philodoxy, or the love of opinion that results in doctrine and systems.
"Philosophy of management" sounds suspiciously like a call for scientistic
doctrine. There's another direction to take.
What would the philosopher say if he came across a manager seeking
understanding? The philosopher would discover that the manager is engaged
in politics and commerce, and would note that these social relationships
are examined in political theory, history, ethics, etc. But the
philosopher would also note that these topics, while they would help the
manger understand his situation, do not directly help him achieve mastery.
As a practice (phronesis, more specifically) management is best learned
while working under the supervision of masters, and there are better and
worse ways of doing this. So we arrive at the topic of education. Donald
Schon, in his books on the Reflective Practitioner, has accurately typed
management knowledge and describes an appropriate way to develop it. It's
an example of what philosophy offers management, without misconstruing
either.
-- Kent Myers kent_myers@smtplink.sra.com