A New History of Management

This book argues that if we are to think differently about management, we must first rewrite management history.

Stephen Cummings (Author), Todd Bridgman (Author), John Hassard (Author), Michael Rowlinson (Author)

9781316502907, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 September 2017

394 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.57 kg

'I found this well-edited book highly readable and informative, as well as having the advantage of being in an affordable paperback edition. It also has some very good illustrations of original documents. The work has, in addition, a full bibliography and index, which is highly commendable and CUP has produced an elegantly presented text, as might be expected.' Malcolm Warner, Journal of General Management

Existing narratives about how we should organize are built upon, and reinforce, a concept of 'good management' derived from what is assumed to be a fundamental need to increase efficiency. But this assumption is based on a presentist, monocultural, and generally limited view of management's past. A New History of Management disputes these foundations. By reassessing conventional perspectives on past management theories and providing a new critical outline of present-day management, it highlights alternative conceptions of 'good management' focused on ethical aims, sustainability, and alternative views of good practice. From this new historical perspective, existing assumptions can be countered and simplistic views disputed, offering a platform from which graduate students, researchers, and reflective practitioners can develop alternative approaches for managing and organizing in the twenty-first century.

1. Rethinking the map of management history
2. Management's formation: the importance of the liberal context
3. To what end? The nature of management's classical approach
4. The birth of organization science: or what we could learn from Max Weber
5. The institution of the business school
6. The discovery of the human worker
7. Textbook distortions: how management textbooks process history and limit future thinking
8. The invention of corporate culture
9. Remaking management history: new foundations for the future.

Subject Areas: Organizational theory & behaviour [KJU], Business & management [KJ], Economic history [KCZ]