Killing off the father: Social science and the memory of Frederick Taylor in management studies, 1950–75

This article focuses on the politics surrounding the memory of Frederick Taylor in order to explore the post‐war development of management studies in Britain and the USA. It argues that the shift in the discipline from practitioner‐based to social science knowledge was a paradigmatic one, in which the theme of generational revolt was central. The article outlines the rise of the new management studies in Britain and the framing of the debates between social scientists and practitioner‐theorists as a struggle between fathers and sons. This theme is explored in relation to the contest over the memory of Taylor, and then the reaction of the British management intellectual Lyndall Urwick to the conflict. By analysing both the institutional and personal dimensions of the paradigm shift, and focusing on its generational meanings, the article seeks to illustrate how management history can be enriched by cultural approaches.