Organizing Control

About this book

"In a pioneering work, Jeffrey Fear overturns the dominant understanding of German management as "backward" relative to the United States and uncovers an autonomous and sophisticated German managerial tradition. Beginning with founder August Thyssen - the Andrew Carnegie of Germany - Fear traces the evolution of management inside the Thyssen-Konzern and the Vereinigte Stahlwerke (United Steel Works) between 1871 and 1934." "Fear focuses on the organization and internal dynamics of the company. He demonstrates that initiatives often flowed from middle managers, rather than from the top down. Shattering stereotypes of the overly bureaucratic and rigid German firm, Fear portrays a decentralized and flexible system that underscores the dynamic and entrepreneurial nature of German business." "This work will generate much debate among historians, organizational theorists, and management and accounting scholars."--Jacket.