The impact of management concepts: a typology

Abstract

Over the course of the last decades numerous management concepts have risen and fallen in popularity. Research has shown that some management concepts are short-lived and have limited impact, while others spread widely and have an enduring and longer-lasting impact. What may explain these differences? This paper outlines a typology for assessing the impact of management concept in a given social context. It is argued that the impact of a management concept varies along two dimensions: the degree of institutionalization denotes the impact across time, while the degree of diffusion denotes impact across space.