Comments on: The New Bashing of Economics: The Case of Management Theory http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/ Economics of organizations, strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and more Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:38:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: thank you, economic sociology & shameless self-promotion… « orgtheory.net http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-2531 thank you, economic sociology & shameless self-promotion… « orgtheory.net Thu, 14 Sep 2006 17:30:56 +0000 https://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-2531 [...] Now, for something completely different: Peter Klein at the Organizations and Markets blog has linked to a forthcoming paper I have on economic sociology. It’s a review/theory piece that takes a critical look at recent trends in economic sociology & organization theory.  Here’s what Klein says about the essay: A review and critique of contemporary economic sociology, the paper points out that “research findings and theoretical developments [in economic sociology] are rarely reconciled or integrated with economic research.” Moreover, the critics tend to deal with a stylized, and rather stale, caricature of neoclassical economics, rather than the best work in modern organizational economics, Austrian or evolutionary economics, or the newer strand of behavioral research (a point made repeatedly on these pages). A good read. [...] [...] Now, for something completely different: Peter Klein at the Organizations and Markets blog has linked to a forthcoming paper I have on economic sociology. It’s a review/theory piece that takes a critical look at recent trends in economic sociology & organization theory.  Here’s what Klein says about the essay: A review and critique of contemporary economic sociology, the paper points out that “research findings and theoretical developments [in economic sociology] are rarely reconciled or integrated with economic research.” Moreover, the critics tend to deal with a stylized, and rather stale, caricature of neoclassical economics, rather than the best work in modern organizational economics, Austrian or evolutionary economics, or the newer strand of behavioral research (a point made repeatedly on these pages). A good read. [...]

]]> By: Organizations and Markets » Entrepreneurship and Business Education http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-462 Organizations and Markets » Entrepreneurship and Business Education Fri, 23 Jun 2006 06:08:08 +0000 https://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-462 [...] Addendum: Another article in the same issue of the Chronicle asks — as we've discussed here, here, and here– if economics (agency theory, in particular) is responsible for Enron. Rakesh Khurana, Herbert Gintis, and Lynn Stout, while not exactly saying Yes, seem sympathetic to the idea. Michael Jensen, not surprisingly, demurs. [...] [...] Addendum: Another article in the same issue of the Chronicle asks — as we've discussed here, here, and here– if economics (agency theory, in particular) is responsible for Enron. Rakesh Khurana, Herbert Gintis, and Lynn Stout, while not exactly saying Yes, seem sympathetic to the idea. Michael Jensen, not surprisingly, demurs. [...]

]]> By: Organizations and Markets » “First, Kill All the Economists …” http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-312 Organizations and Markets » “First, Kill All the Economists …” Mon, 12 Jun 2006 19:36:21 +0000 https://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-312 [...] As regular readers of O&M will know, we are highly critical of the bashing of economics that is represented by recent work by  Pfeffer, Ghoshal, Mintzberg and others (e.g., this post [...] [...] As regular readers of O&M will know, we are highly critical of the bashing of economics that is represented by recent work by  Pfeffer, Ghoshal, Mintzberg and others (e.g., this post [...]

]]> By: Organizations and Markets » Wicksteed on “Economic Man” http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-216 Organizations and Markets » Wicksteed on “Economic Man” Sat, 03 Jun 2006 13:51:05 +0000 https://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-216 [...] I wonder how much of the current contretemps over economic methods in organization and management is simply a re-hash of controversies already covered by Wicksteed, Clark (1, 2), Robbins, etc. [...] [...] I wonder how much of the current contretemps over economic methods in organization and management is simply a re-hash of controversies already covered by Wicksteed, Clark (1, 2), Robbins, etc. [...]

]]> By: Organizations and Markets » Non-Market Motivators http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-166 Organizations and Markets » Non-Market Motivators Wed, 24 May 2006 17:01:29 +0000 https://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-166 [...] Some theorists and consultants say that incentive plans are harmful, that managers should rather try to instill employees with a sense of duty, collective identity, and overall communitarian spirit. If so, why not dump those dreadful motivational posters and decorate the office with these Soviet propaganda posters instead? (HT: Jeff Tucker) [...] [...] Some theorists and consultants say that incentive plans are harmful, that managers should rather try to instill employees with a sense of duty, collective identity, and overall communitarian spirit. If so, why not dump those dreadful motivational posters and decorate the office with these Soviet propaganda posters instead? (HT: Jeff Tucker) [...]

]]> By: orgtheory.net » Blog Archive » disciplinary rivalry http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-72 orgtheory.net » Blog Archive » disciplinary rivalry Mon, 15 May 2006 17:27:00 +0000 https://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-72 [...] Two blog posts caught my attention today. Both deal with how economics is treated by its disciplinary neighbors. In the first post, Nicolai Foss comments that management theory has become obsessed with economics bashing. Foss points to a spate of recent articles in the management literature suggesting that economics as a theoretical guide influences behavior directly through language, norms, and institutional designs. This is an obliteration, he argues, of the real intent of economic theorizing, which is to explain and predict. (I could ask, can't it be both? but I'll save that for a later post.) [...] [...] Two blog posts caught my attention today. Both deal with how economics is treated by its disciplinary neighbors. In the first post, Nicolai Foss comments that management theory has become obsessed with economics bashing. Foss points to a spate of recent articles in the management literature suggesting that economics as a theoretical guide influences behavior directly through language, norms, and institutional designs. This is an obliteration, he argues, of the real intent of economic theorizing, which is to explain and predict. (I could ask, can't it be both? but I'll save that for a later post.) [...]

]]> By: brayden http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-48 brayden Mon, 08 May 2006 21:07:02 +0000 https://organizationsandmarkets.wordpress.com/2006/05/08/the-new-bashing-of-economics-the-case-of-management-theory/#comment-48 <i>these disciplines seem to have become so absorbed in terminological nitty-gritty, paradigm proliferation, and pomo excesses that they seem to have lost much interest in neighbouring disciplines.</i> I'm not sure what sociology you've been reading lately - apparently not much in ASR or AJS. Sociology, rather than becoming less concerned with economics, has become more focused on its successful disciplinary neighbor. If we're not bashing them, we're becoming more appreciative of their contributions and offer a complementary perspective. these disciplines seem to have become so absorbed in terminological nitty-gritty, paradigm proliferation, and pomo excesses that they seem to have lost much interest in neighbouring disciplines.

I’m not sure what sociology you’ve been reading lately - apparently not much in ASR or AJS. Sociology, rather than becoming less concerned with economics, has become more focused on its successful disciplinary neighbor. If we’re not bashing them, we’re becoming more appreciative of their contributions and offer a complementary perspective.

]]>