I’m Sorry I Broke Your Company

Modern management theories don’t hold water over time, says Karen Phelan, an experienced management consultant, who highlights holes in the major management concepts and practices that have governed companies in recent times. No authority is too lofty to escape her rebuttal: Phelan rejects Michael Porter, Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad, Warren Bennis, and Jim Collins. She explains why companies should not be so eager to seek the advice of management consultants, though she acknowledges that some scenarios do call for outside help. While she offers few solid alternatives to the theories she sets out to debunk, getAbstract suggests Phelan’s advice and no-nonsense insights to firms that hire consultants, to consultants themselves and to anybody who hopes to become one.