The Red Taylorist: The Life and Times of Walter Nicholas Polakov

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Emerald Group Publishing, Jun 15, 2020 - Business & Economics - 184 pages
The Red Taylorist traces the adult life and works of Walter Polakov, focusing on his socialist scientific management ideals and the ways these were constrained by conventionality in the USA in the first half of twentieth century. Tracing Polakov's activities and achievements, this book explores the contradictions of a prolific writer, socialist engineer and scientific management ideologue in the decades until his death in 1948.
Written from a management history scholarly perspective, it presents a unique and detailed viewpoint. There have been no prior biographies on Polakov, and very few on his fellow scientific managers, consulting engineers, or like-minded public intellectuals. Moreover, perceptions of scientific management or Taylorism have tended to emphasise the negative impacts on workers, whereas Polakov's socialist commitment suggests a much more nuanced approach.
Aimed at scholars of management and history of management, Diana Kelly offers a detailed narrative of this important individual, while greatly enriching understanding of the broader historical and industrial context.
 

Contents

The Russian Engineer Comes to New York 19051915
1900
The Engineers Should Rule Taylor Society and
1913
Two Books for the 1920s
Taking the Gantt Chart to the Soviet Union and
The Scientific Manager Joins the Union and Is Harried
Conclusion
Index
Copyright

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About the author (2020)

Diana Kelly has been an academic for over thirty years. She has taught and researched history, industrial relations, OB/HRM, management history and workplace safety. She has held various academic administrative roles which were sometimes fruitful, but took her away too often, from family, reading, researching, and teaching.

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