Mary P. Follett: Creating Democracy, Transforming Management

Description

Mary P. Follett (1868–1933) brought new dimensions to the theory and practice of management and was one of America’s preeminent 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 book, the first 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. Contents Illustrations Preface 1. Introduction 2. A Childhood That Was Rarely Happy 3. ‘‘An Eager, Fearless Mind’’ 4. ‘‘What Shall We Do with Our Girls?’’ 5. ‘‘Very Unusual Privileges’’ 6. ‘‘The Great Milepost and Turning Point’’ 7. The Speaker of the House of Representatives 8. ‘‘To I. L. B.’’ 9. Self-Realization and Service 10. Ward 17 11. Substitutes for the Saloon, Schools, and Suffrage 12. Private Funds for Public Purposes 13. ‘‘My Beloved Centres’’ 14. The Functions, Financing, and Control of Community Centers: Issues for the National Movement 15. The War Years 16. The New State 17. Not Neighborhood Groups but an Integrative Group Process 18. ‘‘Too Good a Joke for the World’’ 19. Creative Experience 20. Professional Transition, Personal Tragedy 21. ‘‘You Have Been Extraordinarily Helpful to Executives’’ 22. ‘‘I am Almost at the Same Moment Happy and Unhappy’’ 23. ‘‘Prepared to Go or Stay with Equal Graciousness’’ 24. Afterword Abbreviations Notes Bibliography Index