Understanding the Historical Evolution of Management: A Fresh Perspective

Introduction

Explore the historical evolution of management from a fresh perspective, shedding light on its overlooked origins and early applications. Thibault Le Texier’s research provides valuable insights into the complexities of human relations within organizational settings.

A Historical Approach to Management Studies

• Thibaut Letexier, a young doctor, conducted his thesis on managerial rationality at the University of Nice, in connection with the Crédège, a laboratory also affiliated with the CNRS.

• His work delves into the historical usage of the term ‘management’ in English, dating back to the 16th century, rather than focusing solely on modern practices.

• Letexier’s research sheds light on the overlooked role of the family in management studies, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries.

• He emphasizes the need to reframe management on the concept of family, proposing a Foucauldian approach to the subject.

• By exploring the historical evolution of management and its connection to familial structures, Letexier offers a fresh perspective on managerial studies.

The Origin of Management

• The concept of management started gaining prominence in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it was not associated with business at that time.

• During this period, management was primarily applied to family affairs and agricultural operations within the family.

• The concept of management encompassed the supervision of children, pregnant women, elderly individuals, as well as the management of livestock, land, and even bees in the family’s apiaries.

• Contrary to common belief, management during the 18th and 19th centuries was not linked to businesses, capitalism, or large enterprises.

• Interestingly, the origins of management can be traced back to small, non-capitalist, and self-sufficient farm operations rather than the corporate and capitalist environment.

• While the popular notion associates management with large enterprises and capitalism, it actually emerged from the need to organize small, technologically unsophisticated, and self-sustaining farms efficiently.

• Even in its early theoretical form, management in the domestic setting emphasized concepts of efficiency, industry, resource optimization, rational knowledge, and measurement.

Transformation of Management at the End of the 19th Century

• The concept of management was reappropriated at the end of the 19th century to fit the industrial context, leading to a major transformation.

• Previously, the notion of care was crucial in management, emphasizing the idea of nurturing and maintaining life.

• However, with the influence of Taylor, the focus shifted to depersonalizing the relationship between managers and workers, moving towards a dynamic of controls and objectification of relations.

• This shift led to the rise of quantitative management, reporting, and the development of control mechanisms in large enterprises.

• The personal guidance by supervisors was replaced by assembly line systems, imposing standards and rhythms on workers, signifying a depersonalization of worker management.

• The revolution of management lies in this depersonalization of worker governance and the shift from interpersonal trust to abstract control.

• The question arises about what has been lost by forgetting this familial origin of management.

The Evolution of Management Philosophy and its Impact on Workforce

• The evolution of management philosophy has shifted from a more traditional, household-oriented approach to a technicized and rationalized one. This transition has raised questions about the loss of ‘care’ in managing people and whether there has been a decrease in attention and concern for the well-being of employees.

• Historically, the suffering of workers due to their working conditions was not taken into account, as it was considered a private matter. Only in the 1970s, there was a realization of the link between management practices and the suffering experienced by employees.

• The personalization and human elements such as seniority, respect for elders, friendship, and trust have largely disappeared from the management field, being replaced by a focus on objectivity, rationality, and organization.

• There has been a notable shift towards a more humane approach in contemporary management, signifying a recognition of the need to restore human elements in the workplace. The increase in workplace suffering is not just limited to physical conditions but also encompasses a broader loss of meaning and communication barriers between different levels of employees.

The Impact of Human Relations School on Management

• In the 1930s, the Human Relations School emerged, emphasizing the importance of considering the interpersonal relationships, subjectivity, sensitivity, and emotions of workers in the workplace.

• Rather than humanizing management, this approach led to the further managerialization of human beings, advocating for the rationalization of emotions, interpersonal relationships, and sentiments.

• This expansion of managerial manipulation is evident in contemporary coaching practices, which seek to rationalize and utilize informal, non-codifiable, and intuitive dimensions in a managerial perspective.

• Thibaut Le Texier, a historian, highlights the need to eventuate situations by drawing from historical perspectives, as emphasized in the French journal of management.

• Le Texier also explores the systematic use of the term ‘management’ in the 18th and 19th centuries, shedding light on its early applications.

• The intersection of historical context and the evolution of management practices provides valuable insights into the complexities of human relations within organizational settings.

Conclusion

Thibault Le Texier’s work offers a compelling perspective on the historical evolution of management, highlighting the need to reframe management on the concept of family. It prompts a reevaluation of contemporary management practices and the inclusion of human elements in the workplace.

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