Analyzing the infl uence of economics on management education and practice: a criticism through the concept of development

Abstract

This article is a criticism of the neoclassical economics infl uence on theories of management using the experience and lessons from the evolution of the debates in development studies. I argue that this infl uence has introduced values that are incompatible with the values of what could be a socially responsible society in a modern view of what is development. The article fi rstly examines the evolution of the debates of the concept of development, as they moved from being forums dominated exclusively by economists – who saw development as synonym of economic growth – to a multi and interdisciplinary debate over several dimensions of development, including social, environmental and democracy issues. Secondly, it criticizes management theories based on neoclassical economics through the experience of the development debate. I argue that management theories based on economics see the management solutions as a one-way alternative (market- based solutions), infl uence the thinking of both the means and the ends of organizations, and have propagated a series of values that are not compatible with a socially developed society.