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The historical roots of the democratic challenge to authoritarian management
Author(s) -
Gomberg William
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
human resource management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.888
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-050X
pISSN - 0090-4848
DOI - 10.1002/hrm.3930240303
Subject(s) - democracy , surprise , authoritarianism , politics , sociology , perspective (graphical) , epistemology , political economy , political science , law , philosophy , computer science , communication , artificial intelligence
Democracy is among the most misused words in our vocabulary and one of the most evanescent and slippery operational concepts. Sadly, although it should not come as a surprise, theory and reality often fail to mesh. This article provides an historical perspective on the participative management movement, based on the works of such theorists as Trist, Chandler, Taylor, and Fayol among others. It takes a critical look at the real problem facing managers today: How do we accommodate efficiency with democracy in a world where economic giants are subverting historical political sovereignties?