The Irrational Organization: Irrationality as a Basis for Organizational Action and Change

For a long time most discussion of management and management problems in Western Europe and North America has been conducted in analytical or rationalistic terms. Researchers, teachers and management consultants have been particularly prone to see the question of choosing the right investment, the right product, the right market etc as the greatest if not the only problem facing corporate management. A great many models and management tools have been designed with this in mind. But management's problem is not only to decide what should be done, but also to see that it is done. In many cases the main difficulty is to get the organization to take co-ordinated and forceful action. The study of Japanese management in particular has shown just how important motivation and commitment are, not only on the shop floor but also at the management level.