The dark side of organizations: forensic management – an emerging theoretical perspective

Abstract

Purpose

Most writing about organizations assumes that everyone is sensible and rational and there is a simple and homogenous culture. The paper describes why organizations are in fact difficult to manage and why leadership is always problematical.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on a review of the literature plus experience.

Findings

The dark side of organizations needs recognizing.

Practical implications

Organizational members need to pay attention to unrecognized elements of organizational life.

Originality/value

The article exposes much of the naïve writing in management and leadership.

Citation

Gray, H. (2005), "The dark side of organizations: forensic management – an emerging theoretical perspective", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 19 No. 5, pp. 4-7. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777280510616212