Self‐responsibility. Thoughts to the education of our management elites

Abstract

PurposeHow responsible is the management elite for the so‐called “world‐problems”, e.g. like “the scandalous economic scissors between north and south”, population growth and food scarcity or environmental problems? To give first answers on these questions is the purpose of this paper.Design/methodology/approachAs we began to think about these sorts of questions, we became very much aware, that there are numerous reasons to get down from the “ivory tower” and start being more concerned about the role of business administration within this “world‐problem” issue. The theoretical scope of the paper is observing management attitudes by the glasses of the system theory. The practical outcome of this work is giving managers the chance to reflect themselves.FindingsBy asking questions to the traditional business administration as a science and as a practice we will develop a new attitude of self‐responsibility in the spirit of Heinz von Foerster for a new, alternative academic management education.Originality/valueThis paper describes the core elements of a new “I‐want” reflection‐theory and tries to “irritate”; better: perturbate management‐systems in order to keep the dynamics of self‐reflection going.