Buzz-words in business and management studies

Casson, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2907-6538 and Della Giusta, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3959-4451 (2014) Buzz-words in business and management studies. In: Chell, E. and Karatas-ozkan, M. (eds.) Handbook of Research on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 38-53. ISBN 9781849809238

Abstract/Summary

The paper presents a theory of the use of buzz-words in academic discourse. It uses economic principles to analyse the incentives to innovate new buzz words and to use existing buzz-words promoted by other people. It argues that the lack of a credible dominant intellectual elite in business studies, combined with the rapid growth of academic employment in business schools, has stimulated an inefficient proliferation of buzz-words in management studies. It argues that this proliferatilon of buzz-words is in danger of bringing the field of study into disrepute.