Decision-making is just a shot in the dark.

Author: Ma Hao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Management is not a simple deduction of "×× decides ××." Now, Professor Ma Hao will tell you what true management really is! Systems are made by people, ideas are thought up by people, and decisions are made by people. Even concepts like "scientificization, democratization, standardization, modernization," or other "-ization" phrases and practices all originate from the minds of certain individuals. The key lies in who is making the decisions and how they are making them. —From "Decision Making is Like a Brainstorm" Whether one can exit the game at any time can be said to be the fundamental difference between "commitment" and "participation." Participation often allows for flexibility, the freedom to advance or retreat, and the ability to withdraw at any moment. For example, Westerners often use different breakfast foods to illustrate this difference: when it comes to salty pork and fried eggs, the chicken is merely participating, while the pig has made a commitment. —From "Commitment and Risk" When choosing a career, people should consider maximizing their own value. Employers, when recruiting, should also consider the match between talent and the job. —From "Pigs Can Also Fly" This book is a collection of essays by Ma Hao, a professor of management at Peking University. It offers insightful observations on various phenomena in the business world and daily life, as well as fair assessments of recent developments in the field of strategic management. Each article is engaging and thought-provoking, leaving readers feeling invigorated: "Celebrities Are Less Reliable Than Thieves" explains how relying on third-party information to judge product quality before purchasing can be unreliable through the metric of theft rates; "The Dictator's Secret Weapon" reveals that in the business world, only a combination of outstanding talent and excellent performance can sustain "dictatorship"; "A Brief Discussion on 'Details Determine Success'" fiercely critiques the "×× determines ××" formula often found in bestsellers, exposing the narrowness and bias of this claim and provoking deep reflection; "A Company's Confidence and Optimism" analyzes the different approaches of entrepreneurs and managers, highlighting how the distinct behavioral philosophies of seeking success and avoiding mistakes inevitably lead to different outcomes. Management scholars are not economists, and management is not the application of economics. After getting tired of hearing economists' grand pronouncements like "governing a large country is like cooking a small fish," you might as well read this book to experience the wisdom of management scholars and personally understand what management truly is!