APSAC

The Failure of Boundary Maintaining In The Eclecticism and Wishful Thinking of Management Computing

Prof. Massimo Bianchi
University of Bologna, Italy

Abstract: Recently, management had to consider the use and development of business technologies, such as the Internet of Things, the CoSo framework, and, more generally, to process data and solve problems. The most significant of these problems is maintaining an organisational structure that ensures business continuity. In this endeavor, management has largely abandoned the disciplinary boundaries within which it previously operated, opening the door to an extreme eclecticism that is transforming the structures and processes on which classical management was based. This lecture aims to link the growing trend towards eclecticism in management with the inability to maintain boundaries in theory development and consequent disciplinary training, both of which are essential for the acquisition of professional skills. One example is the extension of the scope of management control systems to include the environment, society and corporate governance – recently grouped under the term ‘ESG reporting’ – which has become a mandatory requirement for both public and private organizations. Management, born as a multidisciplinary approach, has undergone an evolution described as inter-, cross-, trans- and post-disciplinary; however, the fear is that this broad eclecticism, as has already suggested in other sciences, could lead to unrealistic decisions and, in general, to wishful thinking based on a process that is still ongoing. The steps of the analysis are represented by:
1. The Gramsci and Caffe’s evolutionary hypothesis
2. The pressure of critical evolution and its relevance for Academy
3. Feedback from managerial theories and practices
4. Warnings and opportunities for the ongoing trend in business technologies
Gramsci’s hypothesis regarding the unrealistic attitudes of politics after the First World War, which He linked to growing eclecticism, was renewed, fifteen years later, by Federico Ca􀆯è concerning the aftermath of the Second World War. Ca􀆯è criticized political economy for being unable to solve major problems concerning national economies, such as the north-south inequalities and the social divisions. Furthermore, Caffè denounced the inertial attitude of economics in deciding between neo- Keynesian and liberal methodologies. This process of diffusion of business technologies, which are mainly based on AI, seems to be ongoing today. This has led management to adopt an extremely eclectic approach, resulting in unrealistic decisions. These decisions are exacerbated by the difficulty of developing professional competencies that respect increasingly fleeting disciplinary boundaries.

Brief Biography of the Speaker: Massimo Bianchi is Professore Alma Mater Bologna, Former full professor in Business Management, School of Economics, Management and Statistics of Forlì, University of Bologna. Project Manager of national and international projects, Chartered Accountant. His main research interests are: Management theory, Network Analysis, Performance Evaluation, Practice and Experimental Management, Small Business Management, Project Management, Management of Public Administrations . On these topics he is Author of several publications (See Academia EDU). Among his most recent publications:
(2025) Changing the Context of Business Management Theory. The So and So Management between Eclecticism and Wishful Thinking, Athens Journal of Law 2025, 12: 1-15 , https://doi.org/10.30958/ajl.X-Y-Z
(2024) Enhancing Cultural Competence through University-Business Collaboration: The Case of the Caspian Region, Eurasian Journal of Economic and Business Studies, Vol. 68, ISSUE 2, 2024, pp. 90 - 105
(2024) Deindustrialization and Management Sciences in Italy. The shadow of velleitarism. 11 Convegno ATINER 6th - 9th May 2024 Conference for the 11th Annual International Conference on Business, Law & Economics. Athens Journal of Law Volume 10, Issue 3, July 2024 DOI: 10.30958/ajl_v10i3 0
(2021) “The Evolutionary Role of Higher Education in Sustainable Development: Pandemic 2020–2021 Vol. 2 No. 60 (2021): Eurasian Journal of Economic and Business Studies, with G.Dinzhanova; (2019) "Beyond the structural modelling for the analysis of organizational performances in the resilience management" Economia Aziendale on Line, www.ea.2000.it Edizione Speciale. Pavia Vol 10, No 1 SPECIAL ISSUE ISSN 2038-5498;
(2019) “The contribution of archaeologists to the multidisciplinary approach in managerial studies on resilience. The experiences of Sara Santoro”, Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies, Athens Institute for Education and Research vol. 5, issue 4, October 2019, pp. 207-224.”