Early Sociology of Management and Organizations

The early development of the sociology of management and organizations has to be viewed in relation to the emergence, at the beginning of the twentieth century, of a 'Management Movement'. This movement took various forms. On the one hand, it entailed the formation of professional management associations in industrial societies, such as America and Britain, with the aim of promoting both knowledge of the principles of organization and the professional status of managers. On the other, it involved academic study of management and working conditions.

This eight-volume set represents the main streams of thought that converged together in the first decades of the twentieth century to inform thinking about management.