“We have for many decades been living in a “post-industrial” society. I believe we are
now on the verge of a “post-managerial” society, perhaps even a “post-organizational”
society. Before you start hyper-ventilating, let me assure you that this doesn’t mean a
future without managers. Just as the coming of the knowledge economy didn’t herald
the death of heavy industry, a “post-managerial” economy won’t be entirely free of
executives, supervisors, administrators and overseers. But it does imply a future in
which the “work of management” is less and less the responsibility of “managers.” To
be sure, activities will still need to be coordinated, individual efforts aligned,
relationships nurtured, objectives decided upon, and knowledge disseminated. But
increasingly, this work will be distributed out to those on the periphery.”