Administrative and management theory

Administrative and management theory is a product of practitioners writing in the early years of this century. As theory and research on it have evolved, it has struggled, but maintained an audience. It has in fact exhibited an amazing staying power, as reflected in the structure and content of many management textbooks today.

This book is about this saga, as reflected in the contributions of the early writers, the ideas that came forth in the middle years, and the management theory ultimately endorsed in the period of maturity. The selections presented here are intended to reflect the very best of what administrative and management theory has produced over the years. These are the key writings of the major contributors.

In part this is an historical documentation of the development of a field; in part it is a statement of that field's current status.