Management and Machiavelli: An Inquiry into the Politics of Corporate Life

An old and enjoyable jewel I lost this books maybe twenty years ago and suddenly this year I remembered the interesting thoughts I got about the organization men and how corporations behave presented in such and interesting and enjoyable reading. I bought one more and reread it with the same pleasure because of its insight and fresh writing. Antony Jay is a very good mix of a wise manager and a great writer.

"... in fact, Machiavelli, however marginal his relevance to academic historians, is bursting with urgent advice and acute observation for top management of the great private and public corporations all over the world." Sir Antony Jay Epilogue to a Review: I was given this book in 1973 by my director who was trained to become one of the top engineering and project planners of Shell Oil. One of the great modern de/centralization dilemmas was faced by Shell Oil, paying McKinsey's half a million dollars to figure out which is best, a departmental or task force (Project) organization. I enjoyed reading the book, which transformed common sense into management wisdom. Later, I proposed the book to my son who works in the new field of reverse engineering, who read it passing it on to his director. Last Christmas, when we visited with my ex Shell director and World bank expert, my son got him the DVD of Jay's Yes Minister. The Prince by Machiavelli: In 1513 Machiavelli wrote The Prince in an attempt to gain favor with the Midici ruler of Florence city state. In his book, written as a satire, Machiavelli described the way that a good prince or leader should act . He suggested two basic approaches as a basis for leadership and administration. The views expounded by Machiavelli in The Prince may seem extreme, he emphasizes the need for stability in management of principality. The book was written primarily as a guide for the prince to maintain his power and guide for maintaining the principality. The theories expressed in The Prince describe methods that an aspiring prince can use to acquire the throne, or an existing prince can use to maintain his reign, with pragmatic methods that could very well be applied in commerce and industry. The opening discourse of The Prince defines effective methods of governing in several types of principalities. Machiavelli explains to the reader, assumed to be a member of the Florentine Medici family, the best ways to acquire, maintain, and protect a state. The methods described therein have the general theme of acquiring necessary ends by any means. Jay On Management: Throughout history, management style was often autocratic and paternalistic. Serfs, soldiers, workers who were "supervised" were all expected to do as they were told. Some of them were fortunate to labor under benevolent autocracy. The autocratic owner or manager was generous, similar to a stern but loving father, as long as people stayed in line. Such a style represented a tempering of Machiavellian concepts with' love'. "You can judge a leader by the size of the problem he tackles. Other people can cope with the waves, it's his job to watch the tide." Referring the matter to a committee' can be a device for diluting authority, diffusing responsibility and delaying decisions." Management and Machiavelli: Management and Machiavelli published in 1968, appeared shortly on the London's best-seller list, American Management Association award winnin

This is one of those books that need to be read together with other management text. Anthony Jay provides a complete human perspective in statecraft. Good introduction text to all new management trainees aiming at the top of the food chain. At least, they get to know where they fail.

As a practicing engineering manager, I would highly recommend this text to my more experienced peers. Even more than "The Peter Principle", this text provides fodder for literally hours of reflection dealing in real business and military organizations. It is difficult to overstate how some paragraphs can speak volumes on how the political view clarifies understanding of personal experience over other approaches (economic, psychological, technical).However, having had access to an original 1967 edition of this text, I was a little surprized by the new edition cover page highlight "Revised and Updated". Consequently, the parallels to "current" business practice were still very dated. The author also has some tendency to write with high Gunning Fog index(i.e., difficult readability). However, the raw value of the information cannot be overcome by these points, and even leads the reader to wonder whether a condensed organizational dynamics primer could be produced including really updated insights.

As a middle manager in a small company, I found this to be one of the most helpful works on corporate behavior. Jay pulls analogies from history to illuminate the dynamics present in most all policital systems. I quickly recognized the "yogi's, commissars, and barons" in my present and past companies. Do not be put off by the reference to Machiavelli in the title. This is not an exegesis of The Prince. Rather, it is an examination of business, leadership, and power dynamics. I highly recommend it to those seeking a more thorough understanding of the politics of business.