Taylor and After : Paradigms in the History of Management

Abstract

This paper seeks to answer the question “Why and how management practices and ideas changed over time?” We assume that the history of management can be defined by several “paradigms” and the study of their evolution can provide an answer. The history of management in the US from 1900 to 2000 can be defined as a set of different paradigms with different managerial dilemmas, solutions and main advocates for each. We refer to these management paradigms as “Scientific Management”, “Human Relations”, “Structural Revolution” and “Global Competition”, this last one being proposed by the author. Their evolution coincides with the development of the practice of management in corporations. These paradigms followed each other but did not “die” when the next emerged, only faded somewhat, so the author assumes it is normal that practices, ideas and tools from each still prevail today. As a synthesized teaching of management history, the author identifies two main types of paradigm which can help the readers to evaluate the development and the national states of management system of different industrialized countries. Thus, the general framework of this paper can serve as a means to better understand management both in theory and in practice.