The study of management has been increasing exponentially for at least the last 20 years, but traditional introductions tend to be rooted in approaches that deny the significance of historical context and remain sceptical of the role of theory in developing the practices which are recognized as management. Eschewing the "ten-secrets-to-world-domination" strategy favoured by so-called "practical" management texts, and avoiding the "1000 important facts to memorize" (un)beloved of undergraduates, this book develops a view of management that is provocative and challenging while remaining accessible. Adopting ideas from contemporary sociological theory, the text examines an array of management orthodoxies: from corporate culture to managing change, from language to leadership, from re-engineering to reality, from feminism to fatalism and from upward appraisals to utopian management. The book shows that in each area of substantive debate, many taken-for-granted approaches are in need of reconstruction. Despite the critical approach taken to understanding management, it is written as an introduction.