Your question prompted me to consider a thought experiment. Let's assume that management techniques are completely ineffective and the deciding factor in whether a project ships and is successful or not lies entirely with the programmers and designers. Now, let's take it one step further and say that most management techniques actually reduce the likelihood a product ships and is successful. Do you think that would stop management from trying to exert control over something that is completely out of their control? Do you think that would stop management from thinking that their input is actually making things better when in fact their input is making things worse? Managers are ultimately responsible for producing results, but they have no direct control over those results. Most humans, when put in that situation, will try to do something, anything, to make it feel like they have some control over the situation. Even if it makes that situation worse. Finally,what if what I have described above isn't actually a thought exercise, but a fairly good description of what is happening in the real world right now. Would we be able to tell?
Food for thought.
