History in management and organization studies: From margin to mainstream

Abstract

There has, in recent times, been an increasing interest in history, broadly defined, among management scholars. But what specifically a historical approach or perspective can contribute to research on organizational fields, organizations, strategy etc. and how exactly such historical research should be carried out remain questions that have been answered only partially, if at all. Building on the authors’ prior and ongoing work, History in Management and Organization Studies: From Margins to Mainstream is unique in presenting a comprehensive and integrated view of how history has informed management research with a focus on organization theory and strategy. More specifically, the volume provides an overview of how the relationship been history and management scholarship has evolved from the 19th century until today, focusing mainly on the post-World War II period; and systematically surveys the kind of research programs within organization theory and strategy that have used historical data and/or history as a theoretical construct, while also identifying the remaining "blind spots". As a whole, it offers a kind of roadmap for management scholars and historians to situate their research and, hopefully, find new roads for others to travel. The book is intended for anybody conducting or planning to conduct historical research within management and organization studies, and aims, in particular, at becoming a standard feature of research methods courses in business schools and departments of management.