Offering a rigorous critique of the scientific assumptions and ideological commitments that underlie contemporary managerialist research, this book exposes the foundational premises that sustain this influential approach. Mats Persson and Jan Ch. Karlsson define managerialism as an ideology that elevates management's goals and values to a universal status, shaping both research and practice. They demonstrate how managerialism promotes the alignment of workers' identities and aspirations with managerial objectives while excluding them from meaningful democratic participation in shaping those objectives. Tracing managerialist research back to Scientific Management and Human Relations – not merely to neoliberalism or New Public Management – the authors examine its two core dimensions: that workers are inherently irrational and that workplace democracy constitutes a threat against management and employers. They unpack managerialism's confused interpretations of organisational misbehaviour and resistance, analyse the ideological foundations of managerialist leadership theories, and ultimately propose more robust, democratic approaches to researching working life.

‘This is a new type of book on an important subject which probes deeply into the ways historical and contemporary research has been affected by managerialism – exposing the way in which research efforts have been formed and shaped by this way of thinking. The outcome is a triumph of rigorous academic thinking over the slipshod, cut price and wishful thinking that is contemporary managerialist research.'

Stephen Ackroyd - Emeritus Professor, Lancaster University Management School

‘At a time when managerialist research continues to dominate, Persson and Ch. Karlsson's compellingly written book strengthens the critical chorus against it. Drawing on both classic and distinctive perspectives on work and employment, it exposes key flaws and thin ideas underlying managerialism and makes a strong case for countering them. In doing so, the book places workers and their quest for dignity, respect, and autonomy at the heart of organisational research, providing a compelling springboard for future research on work and employment.'

Knut Laaser - Senior Lecturer in Employment Relations, King's Business School, King's College London