The Evolution of Management Thought

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.

Table of Contents:
About the Authors xv Preface xvii About the Instructor Companion Website xxi Part I Early Management Thought 1 A Prologue to the Past 3 Our Goal 3 A Cultural Framework 4 The Economic Facet 4 The Social Facet 5 The Political Facet 5 The Technological Facet 6 People Management and Organizations 6 Human Activity 7 Organizations and Management 8 Summary 9 2 Management Before Industrialization 10 Management in Early Civilizations 10 The Middle East 10 The Far East and South Asia 11 Egypt 12 The Hebrews 13 Greece 14 Rome 16 The Roman Catholic Church 16 Feudalism 17 The Revival of Commerce 17 Cultural Rebirth 19 The Protestant Ethic 20 The Liberty Ethic 25 The Market Ethic 28 Summary 32 3 The Industrial Revolution in Great Britain 33 From a Preindustrial to an Industrial Society 33 The Steam Engine 34 Management: The Fourth Factor of Production 36 Management Challenges in Early Factories 37 The Labor Challenge 37 The Search for Managerial Talent 43 Planning Organizing and Controlling 44 Cultural Consequences of the Industrial Revolution 46 Working Conditions 46 Child and Female Labor 48 The Great Enrichment 50 Summary 52 4 Management Pioneers in Early Factories 53 Robert Owen: The Search for a New Harmony 53 Early Managerial Experiences 53 The Call for Reform 55 Charles Babbage: The “Irascible Genius” 57 The First Computer 58 Analyzing Industrial Operations 60 Andrew Ure: Pioneer in Management Education 61 Principles of Manufacturing 61 Charles Dupin: Industrial Education in France 63 The Pioneers: A Final Note 65 Summary 65 5 The Industrial Revolution in the United States 66 The American System of Manufacturing 66 National Independence and Economic Freedom 68 Early Industrial Development 69 Steamboats and Railroads: A Revolution in Transportation 71 The Communication Revolution 73 The Age of Rails 74 Daniel C. McCallum: System and Organization 74 Henry V. Poor: A Broader View of Management 77 Emerging Governance Issues 78 Summary 80 6 Industrial Growth and Systematic Management 81 The Growth of “Big Business” 81 Carnegie and the Rise of Big Business 82 The Emergence of Systematic Management 84 Engineers and Economists 84 The Labor Question 87 Big Business and Its Changing Environment 90 Business and Society: Barons or Benefactors? 90 Business and Labor: Uneasy Relations 96 Inventive and Innovative Impulses 97 Business and Government: Seeds of Reform 98 Summary of Part I 100 Part II The Scientific-Management Era 7 The Advent of Scientific Management 105 Frederick W. Taylor: The Early Years 105 Taylor at Midvale 106 The Search for Science in Management 108 The Quest for Improved Performance Incentives 110 Task Management 113 Taylor: The Manager and the Consultant 115 Taylor: The Peripatetic Philosopher 119 The Eastern Rate Case 121 Watertown and the Congressional Investigation 124 The Mental Revolution 129 Taylor and the Human Factor 132 A Final Note 134 Summary 135 8 Spreading the Gospel of Efficiency 137 The Most Orthodox: Carl G. Barth 137 Charting Other Paths: Henry L. Gantt 139 The Task and Bonus System 140 The Habits of Industry 141 Graphic Aids to Management 141 The Later Years 143 Partners for Life: The Gilbreths 146 Nothing Succeeds Like . . . 148 And So into Scientific Management 149 Support for the Scientific-Management Movement 151 The First Lady of Management 153 Efficiency Through Organization: Harrington Emerson 157 Line and Staff Organization 158 Twelve Principles of Efficiency 159 The “High Priest of Efficiency” 160 The Gospel in Public-Sector Organizations: Morris L. Cooke 161 The Boxly Talks 163 Public Administration 164 Summary 166 9 The Human Factor: Preparing the Way 167 Personnel Management: A Dual Heritage 167 Personnel Administration as Welfare Work 168 Scientific Management and Personnel Administration 170 Psychology and the Individual 174 Toward Scientific Psychology 176 The Birth of Industrial Psychology 176 The Social-Person Era: Theory Research and Practice 178 Antecedents of Industrial Sociology 179 Sociological Foundations 181 Early Empirical Investigations 182 “Democratization of the Workplace” 182 The Trade-Union Movement 183 The Changing Nature of Union–Management Cooperation 184 Employee Representation Plans 186 Summary 188 10 The Emergence of the Management Process and Organization Theory 189 Henri Fayol: The Man and His Career 189 The Need for Management Theory 192 The Principles of Management 193 The Elements of Management 196 A Final Note 201 Max Weber: Bureaucracy 201 Bureaucracy as the Ideal 202 Advantages of Bureaucracy 204 Disadvantages of Bureaucracy 204 Summary 207 11 Scientific Management in Theory and Practice 208 The Study and Practice of Scientific Management 208 Education for Industrial Management 210 The International Scientific-Management Movement 213 Scientific Management in Industrial Practice 225 The Hoxie Report 227 The Thompson and Nelson Studies 229 Emerging General Management 231 The Impact of Scientific Management on Other Disciplines 232 Early Organization Theory 233 Scientific Management at Dupont and General Motors 234 Business Policy 235 Summary 237 12 Scientific Management in Retrospect 238 The Economic Environment: From the Farm to the Factory 239 The Technological Environment: Opening New Horizons 241 The Social Environment: From Achievement to Affiliation 243 The Collision Effect 244 The Social Gospel Movement 245 The Political Environment: The Advent of Progressivism 247 Scientific Management and the Progressives 247 Business and the Progressives 248 Summary of Part II 249 Part III The Social-Person Era 13 The Hawthorne Studies 253 Human Relations in Industry: An Inaugural Step 254 Illumination Study (1924–1927) 254 Relay-Assembly Test-Room Study (1927–1932) 255 Interviewing Program (1925–1932) 260 Bank-Wiring Observation Room Study (1931–1932) 263 Organizations as Social Systems 265 Collaboration Leadership and Motivation 266 Collaboration in Work 267 Anomie and Social Disorganization 269 The New Leadership: Distinguishing Fact from Sentiment 269 Human Relations and Motivation 270 Summary 272 14 The Search for Organizational Integration 273 Mary P. Follett: The Political Philosopher 273 The Group Principle 274 Conflict Resolution 276 A Business Philosopher 277 Authority Responsibility and Power 278 The Task of Leadership 279 A Final Note 281 Chester I. Barnard: The Erudite Executive 282 The Nature of Cooperative Systems 283 Formal Organizations: Theory and Structure 284 The Acceptance Theory of Authority 285 The Functions of the Executive 286 Moral Leadership 288 A Final Note 288 Summary 288 15 People and Organizations 289 People at Work: The Micro View 289 Developing Constructs for Group Analysis 290 The Growth of Human-Relations Research and Training 293 Changing Assumptions About People at Work 294 People and Motivation 294 Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment 296 Participation in Decision-Making 297 Leadership: Combining People and Production 298 People at Work: The Macro View 300 Organizations as Sociotechnical Systems 300 New Tools for Macro Analysis 301 Summary 303 16 Organizations and People 304 Organizations: Structure and Design 304 James D. Mooney: Organization Theory and Practice 305 Texts Teachers and Trends 307 Building Blocks for Administrative Theory 310 Span of Control 312 Toward a Top-Management Viewpoint 314 Ralph C. Davis: Pater Familiae et Magister 314 Harry A. Hopf: Toward the Optimum 316 Analyzing Top Management 317 Ownership and Control 318 Transaction Cost Economics 319 Summary 320 17 Human Relations in Theory and Practice 322 The Impact of Human Relations on Theory and Practice 322 Applying and Extending Human Relations 323 Hawthorne Revisited 323 Premises About an Industrial Society 323 Research Methods and Data Interpretation 325 Summary 330 18 The Social-Person Era in Retrospect 331 The Economic Environment: From Depression to Prosperity 331 Attempts at Economic Recovery 332 “Big Business” as Culprit 333 “Creative Destruction”: New Innovations 335 The Social Environment: Reshaping the Nation’s Values 337 Shifting Social Values 337 “Organization Men” 340 The Political Environment: FDR’s Pledge 341 The New Deal 342 Augmenting the Position of Labor 343 Summary of Part III 345 Part IV Moving Onward: The Near Present 19 Management Theory and Practice 349 The Emergence of General Management 349 Principles of Management and the Functions of Management 350 Peter F. Drucker and the Practice of Management 351 Management Education: Challenges and Consequences 352 The “Management Theory Jungle” 353 Management Education: The Porter–Mckibbin Report 354 The Management Theory–Practice Divide 355 Post-Fayol: Studies of Managerial Work 357 Global Studies of Managerial Work 358 Managing Across Borders 359 The Changing Scene 360 New Institutional Economics 361 The Resource- and Knowledge-Based Theories of the Firm 361 Governance and Agency Issues 362 From Business Policy to Strategic Management to Global Strategy 363 Multinational Enterprise and Global Strategy 364 Strategic Leadership and “Dynamic Capabilities” 365 Summary 367 20 Organizational Behavior and Organization Theory 368 The Human Side of Management 368 The Transition from Human Relations to Organizational Behavior 369 Theories X and Y 370 Human-Resource Management and Industrial Relations: The Changing Scene 371 Job Design 373 Work Motivation 375 Effective Leadership 377 The Trait Approach 377 The Behavioral Approach 378 The Situational Approach 378 Further Theoretical Developments 379 Project Globe 381 Organization Theory: A Continuing Venture 382 Aston Studies: Workflow Integration and Production Continuity 383 Technological Interdependence 383 Contingency Theory and Its Corollaries 384 Organizations and Their Environments 384 Strategic Choice 385 Population Ecology 385 Institutional Theory 386 When Ends Become Means 387 Different Countries Different Cultures 387 Summary 388 21 Science and Systems in an Information Age 389 The Quest for Science in Management 389 Operations Research (OR) 390 Production Management in Transition 391 “If Japan Can Why Can’t We?” 392 Quality and Quality Circles 392 The Toyota Production System and Lean Manufacturing 395 Globalization and the International Organization for Standardization 395 Systems and Information 396 General Systems Theory and Cybernetics 396 From the “Invisible Hand” to the “Digital Hand” 398 It Is a Small Smaller World 399 Enabling Global Trade Through Information and Communication 401 Summary 402 22 Obligations and Opportunities 403 Managing in a Global Arena 403 The Globalization of Business 403 Individuals and Organizations: Evolving Expectations 405 Business Ethics 405 Acting Ethically and Globally 408 Business and Society 409 The Stewardship of Wealth 409 Corporate Social Responsibility and Performance 410 Stakeholders: Economic and Noneconomic Responsibilities 411 Can You Have Your Cake and Eat It Too? 412 Social Entrepreneurship 413 Business and Its Environment 413 Summary of Part IV 414 Epilogue: A Commerce Across the Ages E-1 Name Index I-1 Subject Index I-0