1st Edition

The Roots and Future of Management Theory A Systems Perspective

By William Roth Copyright 2000

    Interesting and easy-to-read, The Roots and Future of Management Theory: A Systems Approach provides a comprehensive overview of today's workplace -past, present ,and future. The author brings the key characters in the evolution of management theory to life. Not only will your students understand the roots of our current situation, how workplace change happens, and what forces are involved - they will see how it fits into changes in society as a whole.

    There have obviously been many changes in the workplace from the Medieval Period to the present, and there will certainly be even more changes in the future. This book explores these changes and connects them to changes in: general philosophy (rationalism, empiricism, pragmatism); religious philosophy (Catholicism, Protestantism); social philosophy (Machiavellian Humanism, Christian Humanism); economic philosophy (laissez faire, Communism); and workplace philosophy (technology as a friend, technology as an enemy).

    Battles have raged through the ages between these opposing forces, affecting management systems, the quality of working life, and life in general. The author discusses how this has lead to today's quest for a synthesis of the strengths of these forces, and suggests that it has been found in the systems approach. He describes what this synthesis - combined with the powers of the computer - could and should lead to in the future.

    Written at a level that both graduate and undergraduate student will understand, The Roots and Future of Management Theory provides an overview of management theory. Comprehensive but not overwhelming, this textbook will give your students an understanding the changes in the workplace since the beginning of the industrial age, and offer them some insights into the changes most likely to occur in the 21st century.

    PART I: THE PRE-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ERA
    Medieval Period and the Renaissance: Developing the Basics
    The Reformation: Opening the Door to Opportunity
    The Enlightenment: Cornerstones for a New Socioeconomic Order
    Bringing the Pre-Industrial Revolution Era into Perspective
    PART II: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
    The Early Industrial Revolution: Europe Leads the Way
    The Early Industrial Revolution: The United States Catches Up
    The Late Industrial Revolution: Efficiency vs. Effectiveness
    Bringing the Industrial Revolution Era into Perspective
    PART III: THE POST-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ERA
    The Gathering Forces of Change
    The Post-Industrial Revolution Era: Tying It All Together
    The Post-Industrial Revolution Era: The Slowly Shifting Tide
    Bringing the Forces That Have Driven the Evolution of Management Theory into Perspective
    Bibliography
    Index

    Biography

    William Roth