Psycho Management (Paperback)

Robert Spillane

ISBN 10: 1613399030 / ISBN 13: 9781613399033

Published by GOKO Publishing, Issaquah, 2017

About this Item

Paperback. The ultimate test of management is performance - theachievement of actual results. Why, then, do Australian managersconcern themselves with their colleagues personalities andmotives? Why have they become infatuated with emotionalintelligence and, in bizarre cases, with spiritual intelligence?Traditionally, managers who performed earned the right to arguewith their colleagues. Nowadays, individuals who argue are said tolack soft skills while a sad few are thought to be suffering froma personality disorder.The popularity of soft-skill management has createdpsychomanagers: managers who have entered into aFaustian bargain with psychologists. Some managers workwith psychologists to master themselves; others work withpsychologists to master other people. As psychomanagementrequires specialised knowledge, many Australian managers haveyielded their authority to counsellors, coaches and consultants,many of whom believe that human behaviour is determined byinternal and external forces over which individuals have little orno control. Accordingly, psychologists have laboured to absorbthe idea of the free and responsible individual into a pseudoscientificframework that denies moral agency. The result is thatideas of right and wrong have been replaced with healthy andsick. In their pursuit of a therapeutic state, psychologists havemedicalised morality and managers have embraced powerfulmyths about minds, motive-forces, personality traits, socialconditioning, leadership, occupational stress and mental illness.Consequently, the twin ideas of personal freedom and responsibilityhave been sabotaged.This book is about Australian managers and their long-standinglove affair with psychologists. For fifty years the author hasstudied, taught and consulted with managers and waltzed withseveral famous psychologists. An Australian Affair. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781613399033

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Psycho Management (Paperback)
• Publisher: GOKO Publishing, Issaquah
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1613399030
• ISBN 13: 9781613399033
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 2nd Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The ultimate test of management is performance - the achievement of actual results. Why, then, do Australian managers concern themselves with their colleagues' personalities and motives? Why have they become infatuated with emotional intelligence and, in bizarre cases, with spiritual intelligence? Traditionally, managers who performed earned the right to argue with their colleagues. Nowadays, individuals who argue are said to lack 'soft skills' while a sad few are thought to be suffering from a personality disorder.

The popularity of soft-skill management has created psychomanagers: managers who have entered into a Faustian bargain with psychologists. Some managers work with psychologists to master themselves; others work with psychologists to master other people. As psychomanagement requires specialised knowledge, many Australian managers have yielded their authority to counsellors, coaches and consultants, many of whom believe that human behaviour is determined by internal and external forces over which individuals have little or no control. Accordingly, psychologists have laboured to absorb the idea of the free and responsible individual into a pseudo-scientific framework that denies moral agency. The result is that ideas of 'right' and 'wrong' have been replaced with 'healthy' and 'sick'. In their pursuit of a 'therapeutic state', psychologists have medicalised morality and managers have embraced powerful myths about minds, motive-forces, personality traits, social conditioning, leadership, occupational stress and mental illness. Consequently, the twin ideas of personal freedom and responsibility have been sabotaged. Freud, Maslow, Eysenck, Skinner and other influential psychologists have denied, or minimised the importance of, personal responsibility. And insofar as managers have entered into an unholy alliance with them, they too have minimised personal responsibility at the workplace.

This book is about Australian managers and their long-standing love affair with psychologists. For fifty years the author has studied, taught and consulted with managers and 'waltzed' with several famous psychologists and an infamous psychiatrist. Fortunately, they represented both sides of the debate about personal responsibility and human freedom. This book is, therefore, a personal and selective account of a professional life spent studying the problematic relationship between managers and psychologists.

About the Author

Robert Spillane is a Professor and past Dean of the Graduate School of Management at Macquarie University. He has written twelve books, numerous journal articles and a play Entertaining Executives performed at the Mermaid Theatre, London. He has delivered a widely acclaimed series of lectures on philosophy and psychology at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. He received the 2006 International Thomas. S. Szasz Award for his professional contribution to the cause of human liberty.