en academic gurus, consultant gurus and hero-managers. As the label suggests, academic gurus are business school professors and others who have an educational affiliation. Consultant gurus are independent writers and advisors. Hero-managers are current or past CEO’s who are acknowledged to have been successful. The most modern contributors to the guru theory are those in the hero-management sector. They are represented by the tycoon texts of individuals such as Lee Iacocca, Harold Geneen, Mark McCormack and john Harvey-Jones. The modern contributions in this area are currently practicing or recently retired successful managers who write down their secrets of success and also take the opportunity to expound their philosophy of life. Guru theory took off at a time when managers appeared to need extra guidance and ideas. The rise of modern management guru theory can be dated to the early 1980’s. The movement is still strong; just look at the best sellers’ lists with business books topping the charts. At one level, guru theory represents a break with the academically dominated neo-human relations’ movement. At another level it represents a continuation of those ideas simply adapted to the circumstances of the modern era. It can be seen in today’s employees that the theme of commitment, responsibility, creativity, and putting people ahead of bureaucracy are still very much in style. Handy’s View Charles Handy has an interesting but differing view on management. He states that “[t]here is no one right way to manage anything.” “If you can find the right culture[/]style for your situation, you will thrive, and if not, you will struggle.” (Handy v) Therefore, his view is that the management style should alter/conform to changing situations, i.e., different organization types. He believes there to be four different management styles and four different organizational types, and has classi...
