The Organization Man

The Organization Man is a 1956 bestselling book by William H. Whyte, originally published by Simon & Schuster.[1] It is considered one of the most influential books on management ever written.[2]

Background and influence

While employed by Fortune Magazine Whyte did extensive interviews with the CEOs of major American corporations such as General Electric and Ford.[3] A central tenet of the book is that average Americans subscribed to a collectivist ethic rather than to the prevailing notion of rugged individualism. He observed that this system led to risk-averse executives who faced no consequences and could expect jobs for life as long as they made no egregious missteps. Whyte's book led to deeper examinations of the concept of "commitment" and "loyalty" within corporations.[4] Whyte's book matched the fictional best seller of the period, The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit by Sloan WIlson in inspiring criticism that those Americans inspired to win World War 2 returned to an empty suburban life, conformity, and the pursuit of the dollar. Marxist theorist Guy Debord discusses Whyte's observations about advanced capitalism in The Society of the Spectacle.[5]

References

  1. ^ Whyte, William H. (1956). The Organization Man. Simon & Schuster, ISBN 9780671543303
  2. ^ Editors Of Perseus Publishing (2003). The best business books ever: the 100 most influential management books you'll never have time to read. Perseus Books Group, ISBN 9780738208497
  3. ^ Mills, C. Wright (December 9, 1956). Crawling To the Top. New York Times
  4. ^ Randall, Donna M. (1987). Commitment and the Organization: The Organization Man Revisited. The Academy of Management Review
  5. ^ Debord, Guy (1973). La Société du spectacle. Black & Red

External links