British Management Thought (Routledge Revivals)

Book excerpt: First published in 1969, British Management Thought is an indispensable text for anyone with a critical interest in the development of British management philosophy, from management teachers, through to informed managers, sociologists and historians. Utilizing detailed documentary evidence, Dr. Child traces and assesses the emergence and development of management thinking in Britain over the last hundred years. He considers the organizational and social problems faced by managers, and how management thinkers have attempted to provide solutions. The book demonstrates how social science research has today brought to light many deficiencies in management thought. By applying the perspectives of the sociology of knowledge, Dr Child examines how and why ideological considerations seriously weakened the practical utility of many management writings. He also discusses the important problems raised for management education by these findings, illustrating this with some of his own research into management teaching.