Possibilities and limits of adopting successful managerial approaches: from “Best Practice” to “Best Fit”

Abstract

Approaches, processes, and management methods that allegedly helped enterprises to achieve great results are often described as “Best Practice.” These approaches are usually recommended to other enterprises, often without a detailed analysis of the causes of their alleged success, as well as without assessment if they are suitable in other conditions. The article focuses on critical review of the conditions of using best practice when managing enterprises and shows its limits. It comes to the conclusion that “best practice” recommendations are rarely based on rigorous empirical methods of research and therefore are generally unreliable. There is, in addition, no widely held understanding of what is meant by the use of the term. Based on these findings and conclusions, the article promotes a more suitable approach of “Best Fit” which, unlike the methods of best practice based on processes, is based on common goals of successful managerial methods and their adaptation to the conditions and strategies of other enterprises. The approach is demonstrated by methods of human resources management.