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Management & Organizational History
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On the cultural locus of management theory industry: Perspectives from autocommunication

Ari Ahonen

Finnish Competition Authority, ari.ahonen{at}kilpailuvirasto.fi

Tomi J. Kallio

Turku School of Economics, tomi.kallio{at}tse.fi

During the last century, a whole new ‘industry’ legitimized its locus as more books and articles in more and more magazines and journals offered more ‘new’ concepts and frameworks for the efficient running of organizations. In the article it is suggested that this management theory industry serves a wider cultural call. According to the interpretation presented, the management theory industry feeding the management wisdom of the efficient running of organizations is serving an internal, therapeutic, mission. In this sense, the thousands of studies and writings on the management and efficient running of organizations can be seen as communication not only to others but also to oneself. It is thus suggested that the idea of autocommunication, introduced by the Soviet semiotic Yuri M. Lotman, can be applied when trying to understand why the management theory industry gains its legitimacy again and again even though the promised fundamental changes and reforms of actual working life have remained modest.

Key Words: autocommunication • discourse • management history • organization theory • theory industry

Management & Organizational History, Vol. 4, No. 4, 427-443 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1744935909342324
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