An Introduction to the Philosophy of Management

Paul Griseri has worked in management and business education for over twenty five years, and has taught philosophically related subjects to business students at all levels - from pre-undergraduate through to doctoral levels.  He has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Kent, and Postgraduate Diplomas in Management and Human Resource Management. Paul has published several books applying philosophical ideas in business contexts, and is currently the Managing Editor of the journal Philosophy of Management.

′This innovative text offers a radically different approach to understanding the core management issues of today. I thoroughly recommend this book to all students of management′ A/Prof Mark DibbenHead of the School of Management at the University of Tasmania, Australia ′Finally, a book that explores the important philosophical questions in management theory in a sophisticated and modern way. Griseri′s book will help define an important field of management theory′ R. Edward Freemanthe Darden School, University of Virginia, USA ′This is a welcome, long overdue, groundbreaking textbook, at the intersection of modern organisational life with perennial philosophical debates on existence, knowledge, values, and human action....Anchored in solid logical foundations, this book invites us on a challenging journey from epistemologies of organising to meanings of work and principles of collective action, using the work of classical and modern thinkers - such as Aristotle, Descartes, Kant, Foucault′ Dr Cristina NeeshamDepartment of Management, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia ′This book is skillfully directed at invoking a wide audience to re-explore key issues such as: What is work or what can we ′know′ about organisational life? The book is carefully built up by posing questions and offering deliberations from different angles - thereby activating our own processes of reflection′ Norma RA RommResearch Professor, College of Education, University of South Africa, South Africa

• INTRODUCTIONPART ONE: THE ′WHAT′ OF MANAGEMENTWhat Are Organisations? Workers and WorkLeading in OrganisationsPART TWO: THINKING AND KNOWING ABOUT MANAGEMENTQuestioning Our Knowledge about ManagementKnowledge in Management - Some AnswersContexts of Knowledge in OrganisationsPART THREE: WHAT TO DO? MAKING DECISIONS AND ACTING ETHICALLY IN MANAGEMENTIndividual and Organisational ActionTheories of Business EthicsBusiness and SocietyCONCLUSION