Author Description
Lyndall Urwick was the dominant figure in British management between the late 1920s and early 1960s. This thoroughly-researched biography traces how his ideas and writings exercised a huge influence on management at the time; and ultimately management as we know it today.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This biography investigates the professional life and intellectual contributions of Lyndall Urwick to determine his role in shaping modern management theory. E. F. L. Brech, a contemporary and associate of Urwick, utilizes extensive archival research and personal correspondence to document the evolution of management practices in Britain. The text argues that Urwick’s synthesis of scientific management and administrative theory provided the foundational framework for the professionalization of management in the twentieth century.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed analysis of Urwick’s influence on British management from the 1920s to the 1960s
- Examination of the development of management consultancy as a profession
- Primary source documentation including letters, lectures, and unpublished manuscripts
Scope Limits
- The text focuses primarily on Urwick’s professional output rather than his private domestic life
- It does not provide a comparative analysis of contemporary management theories outside of the British context
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this work as a definitive historical account of a pivotal figure in organizational theory. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a primary resource for students of management history.
Page Count:
240
Publication Date:
2010-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191591335
ISBN-13:
9780191591334
Non-Fiction
History
Biography
Business
Management