The Ideology of Managerialism

The term “managerialism” is widely used not only in the world of business and government and this book details the theory behind the illusive idea. It distinguishes between management and managerialism and highlights the two groups pushing managerialism, namely corporate apparatchiks and the apostles of managerialism, and outlines twelve key ideas shaping managerialism. These twelve ideas range from profits to ideology, from economic growth and markets to business ethics and corporate social responsibility, from quantification to dehumanisation, from exploitation to short-termism, environmentalism, and homogenisation. Ultimately, this research volume illuminates the pathologies of managerialism and its impact on society, business, government, and the defining issue of our time – global warming.

The objective of this book is to move simply beyond using the term “managerialism” by creating a better understanding of it. This means exploring the theory behind managerialism as well as the ideologies that define it. It will be of value to researchers, academics, practitioners, and students looking to gain a deeper understanding of managerialism and how managerialism can be overcome, with particular interest to those in the fields of critical management studies, leadership, corporate governance, and organisational studies.