Textbook on the evolution of management theory - traces historical aspects, consequences of industrialization for industrial management, the advent of scientific management, spreading of the efficiency gospel, personnel management, human relations, business organization, operational management, etc. Bibliography pp. 563 to 576 and diagrams.

Rev. ed. of: The evolution of management thought. 4th ed. c1994

Of all the sciences and social sciences, management is the one that most deliberately turns its back on the past. Yet management as we know it today did not spring into life fully formed. Management has more than just a present; it also has a past, and a future, and all three are inextricably linked. This book charts the evolution of management as an intellectual discipline, from ancient times to the present day. Contemporary management challenges, including sustainability, technology and data, and legitimacy are analysed through an historical lens and with the benefit of new case studies. The author helps readers understand how the evolution of management ideas has interacted with changes in society. By framing management's history as one of challenge and response, this new edition is the perfect accompaniment for students and scholars seeking meaningful study in the business school and beyond. Essential reading as a core textbook in management history, the book is also valuable supplementary reading across the humanities and social sciences.

This book describes the millennia-long process of the genesis, formation, struggle, and change of views on the management of social organizations in various countries around the world; in other words, it characterizes the worldwide evolution of the History of Management Thought (HMT) - ideas, concepts, theories, paradigms, and scientific schools - from Antiquity to the present. The book is the outcome of extensive research, based on the analysis, generalization, and systematization of foreign and domestic published literature, as well as on the gathering and analysis of unique archival materials. For the first time in the historical and managerial literature, the book puts forward original definitions of three historical and managerial sciences - the History of Management, the History of Management Thought, and the Historiography of Historical and Managerial Research. It addresses the main challenges in pursuing Historical and Scientific Research (HSR), the main “subject” levels of HSR and specific methodological problems concerning HMT, as well as epistemological methods for identifying key factors in and causes of the advent and evolution of HMT. This book presents both the origins of management thought dating back to the 5th millennium BC and the latest management concepts of the early 21st century. In particular, it traces the origins and sources of management thought, reflected in the works of thinkers and statesmen of the Ancient World (Egypt, Western Asia, China, India, Greece, and Rome), the era of feudalism, and the Middle Ages (Byzantium, Western Europe, and England), the era of inception capitalism (Western Europe and the USA), as well as the new and recent history of management thought of the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition, for the first time in History of Management literature, it presents the history of Russian management thought from the 9th century to modern concepts and scientific schools.

The new edition of the canonical text on the history and development of management thought Far more than a chronicle of the historical development of modern management’s many roots, the newly released ninth edition of The Evolution of Management Thought by Daniel A. Wren and Arthur G. Bedeian is a fascinating telling of how ideas about the nature of work, the nature of human beings, and the nature of organizations have changed throughout history. Its methodology is analytic, synthetic, and interdisciplinary. It is analytic, in that it examines the backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs of people who made significant contributions to management thinking. It is synthetic, in that it weaves developmental trends, social movements, and environmental forces into a conceptual framework for understanding how management thinking has evolved within and across generations. It is interdisciplinary, in that it draws insights from economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology to explain why management thinking has developed as it has. The authors trace the intellectual history of modern management thought as an activity and as an academic discipline in a way that makes reading The Evolution of Management Thought a thoroughly enjoyable encounter. Designed for upper-level and graduate courses, this new edition further cements The Evolution of Management Thought’s place as the standard text in the field of management history for more than half a century.

In discussing a management topic, scholars, educators, practitioners, and the media often toss out the name of a theorist (Taylor, Simon, Weber) or make a sideways reference to a particular theory (bureaucracy, total quality management, groupthink) and move on, as if assuming their audience possesses the necessary background to appreciate and integrate the reference. This is often far from the case. Individuals are frequently forced to seek out a hodgepodge of sources varying in quality and presentation to provide an overview of a particular idea. This work is designed to serve as a core reference for anyone interested in the essentials of contemporary management theory. Drawing together a team of international scholars, it examines the global landscape of the key theories and the theorists behind them, presenting them in the context needed to understand their strengths and weaknesses to thoughtfully apply them. In addition to interpretations of long-established theories, it also offers essays on cutting-edge research as one might find in a handbook. And, like an unabridged dictionary, it provides concise, to-the-point definitions of key concepts, ideas, schools, and figures. Features and Benefits: Two volumes containing over 280 signed entries provide users with the most authoritative and thorough reference resources available on management theory, both in terms of breadth and depth of coverage. Standardized presentation format, organized into categories based on validity and importance, structures entries so that readers can assess the fundamentals, evolution, and impact of theories. To ease navigation between and among related entries, a Reader’s Guide groups entries thematically and each entry is followed by Cross-References. In the electronic version, the Reader’s Guide combines with the Cross-References and a detailed Index to provide robust search-and-browse capabilities. An appendix with a Chronology of Management Theory allows readers to easily chart directions and trends in thought and theory from early times to the present. An appendix with Central Management Insights allows readers to easily understand, compare, and apply major theoretical messages of the field. Suggestions for Further Reading at the end of each entry guide readers to sources for more detailed research and discussion. Key themes include: Nature of Management Managing People, Personality, and Perception Managing Motivation Managing Interactions Managing Groups Managing Organizations Managing Environments Strategic Management Human Resources Management International Management and Diversity Managerial Decision Making, Ethics, and Creativity Management Education, Research, and Consulting Management of Operations, Quality, and Information Systems Management of Entrepreneurship Management of Learning and Change Management of Technology and Innovation Management and Leadership Management and Social / Environmental Issues PLUS: Appendix of Chronology of Management Theory PLUS: Appendix of Central Management Insights