Mary P. Follett: Creating Democracy, Transforming Management
Joan C. Tonn
Abstract
Mary P. Follett (1868–1933) brought new dimensions to the theory and practice of management and was one of America's pre-eminent thinkers about democracy and social organization. The ideas Follett developed in the early twentieth century continue even today to challenge thinking about business and civic concerns. This biography of Follett illuminates the life of this intriguing woman and reveals how she developed her farsighted theories about the organization of human relations. Out of twenty years of civic work in Boston's immigrant neighborhoods, Follett developed ideas about the group basis ... More
Mary P. Follett (1868–1933) brought new dimensions to the theory and practice of management and was one of America's pre-eminent thinkers about democracy and social organization. The ideas Follett developed in the early twentieth century continue even today to challenge thinking about business and civic concerns. This biography of Follett illuminates the life of this intriguing woman and reveals how she developed her farsighted theories about the organization of human relations. Out of twenty years of civic work in Boston's immigrant neighborhoods, Follett developed ideas about the group basis of democracy and the foundations of social interaction that placed her among leading progressive intellectuals. Later in her career, she delivered influential lectures on business management that form the basis of our contemporary discourse about collaborative leadership, worker empowerment, self-managed teams, conflict resolution, the value of inclusivity and diversity, and corporate social responsibility.
Keywords:
management,
social organization,
civic work,
Boston,
immigrants,
social interaction,
business management,
conflict resolution,
corporate social responsibility,
Mary P. Follett
Bibliographic Information
Print publication date: 2003 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780300096217 |
Published to Yale Scholarship Online: October 2013 |
DOI:10.12987/yale/9780300096217.001.0001 |