The Absent Centre: The Neglect of Philosophy in Anglo-American Management Theory

Issue title: Management and Philosophy

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Burrell, Gibson

Affiliations: IROB, School of Ind. and Bus. Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

Abstract: The article concerns the neglect of philosophical issues within management theory. It argues that the rise of ‘Heathrow Organization Theory’, whatever its country of origin, has been characterized by a philosophical vacuuity. There is rarely any discussion of Modernism let alone Postmodernism within the literature which relies upon a very crude pragmatism. The paper includes, not that Postmodernism should be embraced but that the philosophical issues filling management theory should be directly confronted.

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-1989-8408

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 307-312, 1989