Roots and Shoots of Management Thought

Abstract

Management theory and practice are not created in a vacuum nor are they created at the whim of management writers. Contemporary management theory and practice are rooted in the most influential thoughts and values dominant in philosophy and science of about a century ago. Management thoughts that will blossom at the turn of the twenty‐first century are now only tender shoots which are shyly nudging through their stem of current concepts. To anticipate the future bends, turns and shapes of the surviving shoots, we must look at their philosophic and scientific roots and predict the nature of the environment that will nurture their growth during the next two decades. Basic philosophical positions are disseminated into a society through artists, writers and educators who interpret these positions within their individual fields. As new ways of thinking become dominant in a culture, managers must find ways of behaving that are compatible with them. A nineteenth century manager would be totally incapable of contending with the ways of thinking of employees today. Workers who reject traditional principles, values and authority practices will not respond well to the manager who assumes them to be inviolable.

Citation

Wofford, J.C. (1985), "Roots and Shoots of Management Thought", Management Decision, Vol. 23 No. 5, pp. 12-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb001387