This intellectual history interprets recent American business
management ideas as political theory, describing their underlying
assumptions about power and value. According to Stephen Waring,
most business management theory descends from either Frederick
Taylor's 'bureaucratic' theory of scientific management or Elton
Mayo's 'corporatist' idea of human relations. Waring discusses the
subsequent evolution of several management theories and techniques,
including organization theory, computer simulation, management by
objectives, sensitivity training, job enrichment, and innovations
usually attributed to the Japanese, such as quality control
circles.