Critical Evaluations in Business and Management - Böcker

Henri Fayol, (1841-1925) along with F. W. Taylor, is one of the founders of 'classical management'. Fayol's work was the first significant attempt to develop principles of top-level management and one of the first attempts to analyse the different activities that constitute management. Fayol viewed management as a process of administration consisting of five activities: planning/forecasting, organizing, co-ordinating, commanding and controlling. These two volumes place Fayol's ideas in their historical context and provide access to his key writings. The set includes assessments of his work by his contemporaries, as well as current thinking about his ideas on management.

This collection focuses on Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915), the initiator of 'scientific management'. Taylor set out to transform what had previously been a crude art form into a firm body of knowledge. His work is synonymous with breaking down tasks into the smallest detail, diagnosing the abilities of workers, and then fitting the two together to achieve greater efficiency. His methods have been associated with both massive increases in productivity and an obsession with control.

This collection includes evaluations of and responses to the contributions made by Henry Ford and the ways in which his influence helped shape the understanding of management practices.Henry Ford was an eccentric, and occasionally enlightened, thinker and remains a controversial figure today. He developed F.W. Taylor's ideas of scientific management (the subject of another four volume collection in this series), turning them into a whole 'system of production'. Ford's system was characterized by highly efficient, high volume and vertically integrated production, with high wages and low prices. His methods helped make the motor car the defining product of the twentieth century and also ensured his own iconic status.

Husband and wife, Frank Gilbreth (1868-1924) and Lilian Gilbreth (1878-1972), are the figures most closely identified with time and motion studies. Pushing F.W. Taylor's ideas to the limit, they sought ways to determine 'the one best way to do work'. Their lasting influence is evident in the fact that the process charts and other techniques they devised remain essentially unchanged in modern systems analysis. Along with this, they were also interested in the human aspect of work, emphasizing the need for training and worker involvement.The collection makes available, in one place, some of the most significant writings gathered from a variety of sources. The works are invaluable, not only for reference purposes, but as contributions to the history of management thought as well as the analysis of contemporary theory and the study of strategic management.

Alfred P. Sloan is credited with the invention of the modern corporation. At the helm of General Motors from 1923 to 1946, he had a profound influence on management thinking in America and much of the Western world through his unique, ahead-of-its-time, management style.Sloan's leadership and the sheer success of General Motors led to an enormous amount of study and writings on his contribution to management theory and practice.This set is part of the Critical Evaluations in Business and Management series. Future titles in the series will include:George Elton MayoW.E. DemingJoseph M. JuranPeter F. DruckerHerbert SimonH. Igor AnsoffAlfred D. ChandlerFor further information on these titles please contact info.research@routledge.co.uk

W. Edwards Deming's name is synonymous with Total Quality Management. His ideas were at first enthusiastically adopted by Japanese businesses. Deming is recognized as putting Japan on the road to leadership in international business and industry and was awarded the Second Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Japanese Emperor.It was not until the 1970s, however, that Deming started to make an impact in the West. Heads of leading businesses began to consult with him, and an NBC television documentary entitled 'If Japan Can, Why Can't We?' broadened his audience still further. Throughout the 1980s various books were written by others to document and explain his work. His own book Out of the Crisis was published in 1986 and he was awarded the National Medal of Technology in America the following year. In 1987, the British Deming Association was formed to spread awareness of the Deming philosophy.This collection gathers together the key material to enable students and researchers to explore the impact of Deming's ideas. The set includes a new introduction and an extensive annotated bibliography, making this an invaluable research resource.

George Elton Mayo (1880-1949) is widely recognized as the progenitor of the human relations movement in management and his work laid the foundations for later management and organizational thinking.Mayo's work highlighted the importance of communication between management and workers and identified the now-accepted notion that work satisfaction, and therefore productivity, lies in recognition, security, and a sense of belonging, rather than monetary rewards. His findings were contrary to the theories of his contemporaries that the worker is motivated solely by self-interest (e.g. Taylorism). Mayo's work on human motivation revolutionized the theory and practice of management. This collection evaluates Mayo's role in shaping business and management studies upto the present day. It includes a new introduction and an extensive annotated bibliography.Recent titles in this series include, Alfred P. Sloan (October 2003, 2 volumes, £250) and Frank and Lilian Gilbreth (May 2003, 2 volumes, £250). Forthcoming titles include, W. E. Deming (November 2004, 3 volumes, c.£395) and Joseph M. Juran (2005, 1 volume, c.£145)

Chris Argyris (b. 1923) was one of the key figures in the Human Relations Movement in the 1960s and 1970s; he is widely regarded as the founding father of the learning organization. His work has made substantial contributions to the understanding of organizational behaviour, organizational learning, and action research, and has deepened significantly our comprehension of experiential learning.Supplemented with the editors’ introduction, which places the gathered work in its historical and intellectual context, this new collection from Routledge brings together in one volume all the best and most influential critical writing on Argyris.

A polymath and prolific writer, Peter F. Drucker has published influential books across seven decades. Taking a humanistic approach to management, he emphasises that it is people who create business, which in turn means that they have a crucial role in modern society. This collection gathers together key material to enable students and researchers to explore the impact of Drucker’s ideas. Also included is a new introduction by the editors and an annotated bibliography to create a unique and indispensable resource for both student and scholar alike.

For more than seventy years, the teachings and writings of Joseph M. Juran have had a profound impact on the quality of the products we buy and use everyday. His pioneering work in 'quality' is heralded all around the world, and his ideas on total quality management centre upon the role of employees, their involvement and empowerment.This collection gathers together key material to enable students and researchers to explore the impact of Juran's ideas. The set includes a new introduction and an extensive annotated bibliography, making this an invaluable research resource for student and scholar alike.Other titles in the series include W. E. Deming, (0-415-32386-X) 2004, 2 volumes and George Elton Mayo, (0-415-32390-8), 2 volumes. Forthcoming titles include Peter F. Drucker, (0-415-32566-8) 2005, 4 volumes and H. Igor Ansoff, (0-415-32557-9) 2006, 2 volumes.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter (b. 1943)—described by The Economist as ‘one of the few women in recent years to have achieved genuine guru status’—introduced the concept of ‘empowerment’ into management thought. She is the subject of this new collection from Routledge’s acclaimed Critical Evaluations in Business and Management series. It brings together in two volumes the best critical assessments of her work. The collection is supplemented with the editors’ expert introduction which places the gathered materials in their historical and intellectual context.

John P. Kotter (b. 1947), a leading authority on business leadership and change, is the subject of this new collection from Routledge’s acclaimed Critical Evaluations in Business and Management series. It brings together in two volumes the best critical evaluations of his work. The collection is supplemented with the editors’ expert introduction which places the gathered scholarship in its historical and intellectual context.

Henry Mintzberg (b. 1939) is one of the world’s leading thinkers in management and strategic planning. New from Routledge’s Critical Evaluations in Business and Management series, this new four-volume collection brings together the best and most influential critical writing on Mintzberg and his work. The set is supplemented with the editors’ expert introduction, which places the gathered work in its historical and intellectual context.

Hailed as the ‘über guru’ by The Economist¸ Tom Peters (b. 1942) is one of the most influential business thinkers of our age. He is the subject of this new collection from Routledge’s acclaimed Critical Evaluations in Business and Management series. It brings together the best critical assessments of his work. The collection is supplemented with the editors’ expert introduction which places the gathered materials in their historical and intellectual context.

Michael Porter (b. 1947) has been described by The Economist as ‘the doyen of living management gurus’. Boldly introducing the language and concepts of economics into management theory, his work has focused on how a firm (or a region) can build a competitive advantage and develop a competitive strategy.Supplemented with the editors’ introduction, which places the gathered work in its historical and intellectual context, this new four-volume collection from Routledge brings together the best and most influential critical writing on Porter.