Book Reviews: Busted - Debunking Management Myths
Acquisition of knowledge through online platforms such as YouTube shorts and Instagram reels that encapsulate the information in small entertainment bundles is the trending and undeniably an accepted norm. While it shortens one’s attention span, it allows for quick acquisition of multiple and varied units of knowledge, especially when such knowledge is not likely to be of any serious future use. Soota, Jager, and Mendonca clearly understood and accordingly articulated the book – “Busted - Debunking Management Myths with Logic, Experience and Curiosity.”
Every element of the book oozes a rigorous and desperate attempt by the authors to connect with the audience with a short span of attention and an urge to grasp the essence of otherwise complex phenomenon, quickly and effortlessly. The authors’ commitment and fervor in this direction are evident to such an extent that it may occasionally perplex serious readers, but I doubt the authors lack understanding.
The book is divided into three parts and seventeen chapters. Out of seventeen chapters, seven are by Soota and the remaining by Jager. Mendonca’s role as a co-author is not clearly defined in the book.
Part one busts the myths about strategy. The book draws from popular jargons used by legendary management scholars such as Drucker, Porter, and Kets De Vries. The chapter titles such as “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” and “its lonely at the top” are not noble but motivating. The authors have contemporized and contextualized the core concepts by including quotes and citations from Indian gigantic corporatocratic figures such as Nandan Nilekani and academic legends such as Rishikesh Krishnan. This validates their deep-rooted connections in the field.
Part two busts the myths about Processes. Here too the titles are somewhat noble but motivating. The method to adumbrate the core concept remains the same where authors extensively cite scholars and practitioners of international repute to validate their ideology behind the book. It may sound paradoxical and hypocritical that authors, while critiquing ‘processes,’ follow ardently the process (and ignore innovative articulation methods) in the way they structured the book.
Part three busts the myths about people and organizations. Here, the book begins to appear noble and rightful. There are several popular myths about people and organizations that the ‘people are trainable to become leaders’ and ‘people resist change.’ These myths are propagated through mindless use of social media tools and over a period of time have claimed to become indisputable realities. The authors boldly and successfully challenge these myths. With the use of their logic, experience, and scholarly curiosity, they establish that there is an alternative and pragmatic ideology that must be heeded against popular myths about people and organizations.
Summarily, authors dive deep into scholarship with a risk of oversimplification of otherwise complex academic concepts and convictions in practice. Therefore, I caution the serious and sturdy readers who typically plunge into bibliography to thoroughly understand the concepts promoted in the books, as they may encounter several challenging and daunting concepts. However, I strongly suggest this book for readers with limited time but a thirst for knowledge to give it a shot.
Prof. Nishant Uppal, IIM Lucknow, Chairperson MDP at IIMLucknow
