ABSTRACT
Management thinking, just like architectural style or the clothes we wear, is not immune from fashion, which fuels it. A characteristic of most management concepts is that they promise (often dramatic) performance improvements, while also leaving considerable scope for interpretation and implementation. Although this may be a clever ploy on behalf of those promoting a new way of going about our business, it can and does often lead to confusion. The tendency is for these management fads to become detached from their original meaning as they are interpreted and implemented by practitioners (Abrahamson, 1996). This means that it can be difficult for practitioners to evaluate new approaches in terms of how concepts and philosophies relate to their business and their portfolio of projects. It also means that transferring ideas from one sector to another can be problematic (Brensen et al., 2005; Jørgensen and Emmitt, 2008). It should also be recognised that different organisations will find one approach more advantageous to their particular modus operandi than another, whereas another (similar) organisation may take a very different view.
