A large number of studies reported by management gurus—of which Tom Peters is a prime example—and published in the management literature, particularly in the Harvard Business Review, are based on the following incorrect methodology. A set of companies are selected that are asserted to be successful and to exemplify the one or more characteristics that the author believes is responsible for their success. Another set of companies is selected that are considered to be unsuccessful and not to have the characteristics hypothesized by the author. Then the success of the successful companies is
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