´Management theory´: is it of any practical use? or how does a fad become a paradigm?

The business of management produces an estimated 2000 books per annum. So how does the busy manager filter out the useful ideas from the verbiage which surrounds this subject? With great difficulty, usually, and unfortunately this is an area of his thinking which cannot be delegated. Nevertheless careful scrutiny suggests there are clues as to which fads may transform into working paradigms. Here we consider how the outputs of gurus, consultants, academics and practising managers may be integrated to provide the necessary proof and confidence in the ideas on offer. The approach is illustrated via the Time Compression Paradigm, which has found wide applicability for a range of business processes, in many market sectors, and in many countries.