Recurring themes in management thought: What every manager should know about management history

This paper examines the content of 23 recognized classic books in the field of management. The sample included books from all major schools of administrative thought and spans the period of 1912-1977. The results of a content analysis illustrated that a series of relatively well defined recurring themes emerged in this period of 65 years. An argument is made that while many innovative management ideas have been and continue to be formulated, administrators should be familiar with the importance of the recurring themes. Moreover, educators should be careful not to “shortchange” these fundamentals in favor of more contemporary and seemingly exciting new ideas.