An advanced introduction As society as a whole is becoming increasingly “managed” and a “management industry” reports substantial turnover derived from its selling of a great variety of management books and training programs, one can persuasively make the point that we are living in an era dominated by managerial practices and managerial thinking. Today, there are many professional groups that make their bread and butter from practicing, developing, teaching, lecturing and researching management. As a consequence, there is a need to revisit questions such as “What is management?”, “What social good can it accomplish?” and “What could be the future of management?”.

This book brings together scholars from the different domains of expertise in management studies to provide a comprehensive yet accessible overview of these research areas. In addition, these scholars are invited to address what topics and practical concerns these research areas might engage with in the near future. To enable a diverse yet authoritative overview each of the chapters is co-authored by two widely recognized scholars, in many cases representing different universities.

The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students, doctoral students, management researchers, and all those interested in the practice of management and management as a scholarly research field. Within each research area, the volume provides a short historical overview, presents ongoing theoretical debates, and provides thoughts regarding the future of the field of research.