Management and organizational history: Prospects

Abstract

We outline the prospects for Management & Organizational History in the form of a 10-point agenda identifying issues that we envisage being addressed in the journal. 1.The ‘Historic Turn’ in Organization Theory – calls for a more historical orientation in management and organization theory. 2. Historical Methods and Styles of Writing – alternative methods and diverse styles of writing appropriate for studying organizations historically. 3. The Philosophy of History and Historical Theorists – the relevance for management and organization theory of philosophers of history such as Michel Foucault and Hayden White. 4. Corporate Culture and Social Memory – the historical dimension of culture and memory in organizations. 5. Organizational History – the emergence of a distinctive field of research. 6. Business History and Theory – the engagement between business history and organization theory. 7. Business Ethics in History – the meaning and ethics of past business behaviour. 8. Metanarratives of Corporate Capitalism – historiographical debate concerning the rise of capitalism and the modern corporation. 9. Management History and Management Education – the link between the history of management thought and the teaching of management and organization theory. 10. Public History – the relation between business schools and the increasing public interest in history.

Key words:

• Management history
• organizational history
• organizational memory
• philosophy of history