CHAPTER An introduction to managing people in changing contexts Learning objectives By the end of this chapter you should be able to: describe and critically evaluate some of the key ideas underly- ing the management of people in changing contexts; apply the notions of universalism and relativism to the key ideas and practice of modern management,especially to our understanding of 'best practice'; understand the importance of mindsets in management and how these influence managerial practice; understand how ideas about management change,and how the economic environment and the influence of management thinkers can cause changes in our understanding of good practice in management; critically evaluate the role of management thinkers in pro- ducing useful knowledge about management.An introduction to managing people in changing contexts 1 CHAPTER Learning objectives By the end of this chapter you should be able to: ■ describe and critically evaluate some of the key ideas underly￾ing the management of people in changing contexts; ■ apply the notions of universalism and relativism to the key ideas and practice of modern management, especially to our understanding of ‘best practice’; ■ understand the importance of mindsets in management and how these influence managerial practice; ■ understand how ideas about management change, and how the economic environment and the influence of management thinkers can cause changes in our understanding of good practice in management; ■ critically evaluate the role of management thinkers in pro￾ducing useful knowledge about management. 1