Philosophy of Management

Philosophy of Management as a Methodology for Production Management

Any production organization is founded on two fundamental principles that determine its effectiveness. The first is the objective relations that arise during the process of production activity, namely, the mode of production; the second is the self-organization of production through management, which encompasses organizational activities that can be either professional or non-professional. In one instance, management is conducted by the owner of the means of production, while in the other, the owner delegates the authority to manage to hired workers, who are predominantly professionally trained.

These two principles have found their theoretical and economic interpretation. However, it is known that economic interpretation pertains to the theory of the direct organization of economic activity, while there exist general principles of organization, the foundation of which lies in philosophy. Philosophy serves as a methodological knowledge that underpins the effectiveness of all known organizational mechanisms.

In the course of studying philosophy, its laws and categories, particularly the laws of dialectics, one may occasionally get the impression that they exist as a certain set of abstract propositions, which have more of a worldview significance than a practical one.

Thus, for successful managerial and entrepreneurial activity, it is essential to unite the science of production management with philosophical knowledge, which can serve as the methodological foundation for enhancing the effectiveness of managerial activities.

Such a practice has yet to become the norm, and this is precisely why managerial decisions often lack the necessary effectiveness. Therefore, a course in the philosophy of management is required to help transform this practice into a standard. This encapsulates the essence and significance of management philosophy as a branch of philosophical knowledge.

As for the main issues concerning the philosophy of management as a methodology for production management, there are, broadly speaking, three today: 1) the connection between philosophy and production management has not been established in such a way as to make the philosophy of management professionally necessary; 2) the applied effectiveness of the philosophy of management has not been proven, nor has it been shown to guarantee the infallibility of managerial decisions; 3) there are no philosophical criteria for determining the effectiveness of managerial labor.

These issues are particularly salient given that today, employees possessing managerial professions generate substantial profits.

It often becomes unclear what is more effective in the realm of material versus spiritual production: to engage directly in the creation of a product or to involve oneself in the relationships of its realization, exchange, and so forth, that is, to organize and manage these relationships.

Therefore, the integration of the philosophy of management, grounded in Hegelian dialectics, into the structure of management science aims to enrich the Ukrainian philosophical mentality, particularly in the professional training of future managers, with instrumental content regarding managerial activities. This will enable this science to attain a status and a philosophical-managerial energy that manifest the contradictions of Ukrainian national thought.

Thus, let us illustrate the role of philosophical categories in managerial activity.