The quiet Americans: Formative context, the Academy of Management leadership, and the management textbook, 1936–1960

Abstract

Building on recent interest in formative contexts and management in the USA, this article explores the contribution of the Academy of Management to the development of modern management theory. Drawing on archival research and content analysis of selected management textbooks, we examine the development of the Academy of Management from 1936 to 1960 and the role of its presidents in the dissemination of management theory.We conclude that there is some evidence that the Academy allied itself with dominant Cold War themes that translated into a philosophy of management, which influenced the character of the organization for decades. Though it is unlikely that the Academy per se had much influence on the development of management theory, its early leadership may have had a disproportionate influence through the medium of the business textbook.