ABSTRACT
What I wish to examine in this short chapter is the use-and, I regret, the abuse-of Niccolò Machiavelli’s work (notably) in modern management writings. In such writings, he is depicted as a modern ‘spin doctor’, dealing in ‘issues management’, or ‘power politics’ in organizations. In addition, I wish to look at the related notion of using the term ‘political’ in new ways, which completely discounts the definition used for two thousand years or more, and using-and abusing-language in a way that can stultify academic debate. In this latter area, one specific example will be provided, but, as readers will appreciate, this ‘borrowing’ from the academic discipline of Politics and other Social Sciences could be elaborated upon more fully. Finally, a few comments will be made about the use of language in general, and how this affects academic debate.
