Managing the Human Animal

We have taken ourselves out of the Stone Age Â- but we cannot take the Stone Age out of ourselves. Time and time again managers and leaders have tried to eliminate hierarchies, internal politics, and interorganisational rivalry Â- but to no avail. Why? Evolutionary psychology would say that they are working against human nature Â- emotional and behavioral 'hardwiring' that is the legacy of our Stone Age ancestors. In this unique and important book, Professor Nigel Nicholson explores many of evolutionary psychology's central tenets and its implications for business management. The insights that this science provides into human instinct will prove illuminating to anyone seeking to understand why people act and think in frequently perplexing and unproductive ways while at work. Through his work at London Business School, Nigel Nicholson has placed himself at the forefront of this exciting Â- some would say radical Â- new field of evolutionary psychology. His research challenges many conventional beliefs about human nature and provides a more realistic picture of what motivates people and shapes their thoughts and actions at work. In Managing the Human Animal, he sets the record straight on what he regards as the utopian daydreaming which has led to ideas that indicate office politics, turf wars and gossip can be eliminated and that status and gender differences count for nothing. Instead, what he puts forward will intrigue and inform those looking to understand mankind's basic instincts and to mange them with skill.