Fadotomy – anatomy of the transformation of a fad into a management paradigm

To provide a methodology for determining how and when a management fad has become an established paradigm.

The penticulation approach compares the outputs from the five separate research sources of horizontal surveys, experiential rules‐of‐thumb, theoretical models, quick scan audits, and vertical case studies.

The total cycle time compression (TCTC) paradigm is supported both individually and collectively by the five data sources which can be related to Kuhnsian requirements.

Penticulation is a unique approach to establishing if a paradigm actually exists. However, this is its first known application.

It is manifest that TCTC can be used as both a business process engineering objective, and subsequently as a prime performance metric.

The output is twofold. Penticulation is a new approach to paradigm testing, and our understanding of the TCTC principle has been further strengthened.