Management in Practice : A Multiple Case Study of Contemporary Managers in a Management Theory Context

Abstract:

Purpose

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the distance between theory and practice in the field of management.

Theoretical perspective

In the literature review we have chosen to give insights on the concepts that aresurrounding management students: organization, management, leadership and culture. Bydoing we were able to get a better understanding of the concepts that are fundamental tomanagement studies. In addition to that, by selecting these concepts we could assimilate thekey points of the theory on management and then have a better understanding of the contextsurrounding managers that we were about to interview both in Sweden and France. Finally,the theoretical block of this paper could allow us in the analysis section to verify if thetheories available to management students could help explaining the current situation ofcontemporary managers.

Methodology/ Introduction to interviews and access

In the methodology section we strived to give understandings on our research strategy andour research approach but also on how we collected our data, chose our respondents andfinally the method that we used in order to analysis the data collected in Sweden andFrance. In addition to that, we gave more details on the interviews but also described ourfeelings and impressions on the interview and the interviewees in the part entitled access.

Empirical data and analysis

We analyzed the data collected and carefully compare those with the theoretical conceptsthat used in the theoretical chapter thus leading us to use the same structure for the analysis:organization, management, leadership and culture. The empirics on management andleadership also motivated us to make a comparative analysis of the two concepts.

Conclusion

From our findings we were able to conclude that the first distance lies into the perspectiveof functions and skills of management and secondly that a distance lies in the waymanagers and the theoretical field of management look upon the issue of responsibilitywhen it comes to management theories.