These essays by one of America's most distinguished experts in business management and human relations were written between 1928 and 1968. Some are published here for the first time. They are addressed primarily to business practitioners, but are also of considerable interest to social scientists concerned with matters of organization, administration, motivation, and communication. The essays might be said to constitute the author's adventure over a period of forty years with an idea that he felt had important implications for administrative practices.

The early pieces begin with the exposition of a new way of thinking about the behavior of people in organizations, and the research from which it arose. Some of the recent essays express concern with the way in which the area of human relations has been developing—namely, as a fad, a cult, and the way to salvation instead of as a road toward competence. Among the topics discussed are: the relation of theory to practice in administrative matters; the training and education of the generalist as opposed to the specialist; training in human relations; efficiency and cooperative behavior; the administration of change; and technical change and social organization.