The Knack of Selling: scientific salesmanship, relational themes and military metaphors in early marketing thought

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-262
Author(s):  
Mark Tadajewski ◽  
D.G. Brian Jones
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Personal Selling ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Intellectual Context ◽  
The One ◽  
Source Materials ◽  
Early Training

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an historical analysis of an important early contribution to the history of marketing thought literature – the six-book series titled The Knack of Selling – which was published in 1913 and intended as an early training course for salesmanship. Design/methodology/approach This research utilized a close, systematic reading of The Knack of Selling series and places it in the professional and intellectual context of the early twentieth century. Books published about marketing are primary source materials for any study of the history of marketing thought. In this case, The Knack series constitutes significant primary source material for a study of early thinking about personal selling. Findings Echoing A.W. Shaw, Watson offers a more sophisticated interpretation of the “one best way” approach associated with Frederick Taylor. Watson’s advice did not entail the repetition of canned sales talks to each customer. His vision of practice was more complicated. Sales presentations were temporally and locationally relative. They were subject to ongoing evolution. As the marketplace changed, as customer needs and interests shifted, so did organizational and salesperson performances. To keep sales talks relevant to the consumer, personnel were encouraged to undertake rudimentary ethnographic research and interviews. Unusually, there is oscillation in the way power relations between marketer and customer were described. While relational themes are present, so are military metaphors. Originality/value This is the first systematic reading of The Knack of Selling that has been produced. It is an important contribution to the literature inasmuch as this book set is not in wide circulation. The material itself was significant as an input into scholarship subsequently hailed as seminal within sales management.

Quality management – history and trends

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Weckenmann ◽  
Goekhan Akkasoglu ◽  
Teresa Werner
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Initial Position ◽  
Paradigm Shifts ◽  
Quality Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Orientation ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One ◽  
Further Development

Purpose – The continuous development of quality management in organizations was driven on the one hand by competition and on the other hand by growing requirements of the customers. Mass production with a pure push strategy changed to a more and more pull strategy with higher customer and market orientation. To satisfy the requirements of the triangle quality, cost and time the field of view of quality management has continuously been widened from considering “what” is done to “how” it is done. Nowadays the complexity and interrelations inside and outside of organizations increased with their global orientation. To face these global challenges, the purpose of this paper is to do a detailed analysis of the history of quality management that can support the initial position in development of specific tools and methods for quality improvement in organizations. Design/methodology/approach – For the historic analysis a well-founded literature review has been performed. After presenting the historical development of quality management, the current situation described. Finally an outlook for upcoming trends in quality management is provided by extrapolating current developments. Findings – Four different paradigm shifts in quality management are up to now identified and described, accompanied by a high number of smaller development steps. Current efforts for the further development of quality management encompass “perceived quality”, “human-focused quality management” and “intelligent quality management”. Originality/value – The paper gives a survey on the development of quality management and delivers a forecast on future requirements and trends in structuring the quality management in technical enterprises.

Formation of management thought in Russia and early USSR from the 1800s to the 1920s

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 285-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vadim Marshev
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Scientific Organization ◽  
Causal Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Transformations ◽  
Management Paradigms ◽  
History Of ◽  
The One

Purpose During the first quarter of the twentieth century in Russia rapidly developed management thought, generated by many reasons, including socio-economic and political transformations, the results of scientific and practical activities of domestic and foreign experts in management. The purpose of this paper is, first, to acquaint readers with some of factors of the development of the history of Russian Management Thought in nineteenth century and at the beginning of twentieth century and, second, to present the most striking results of the formation of the History of Soviet Management Thought (SMT) in post-revolutionary Russia in the form of the movement of the so-called “The scientific organization of labor” (SOL), including “The scientific organization of managerial labor” (or SOML). Design/methodology/approach The review and causal analysis of the process of formation of the SMT and historiography of the SMT, a brief description of the institutions of SOL and SOMT and a comparative analysis of little-known works of some Russian authors on management topics of nineteenth century are chosen as research methods. Findings The paper emphasizes the action of objective historical inertia (or “non-Markoviness”) of the process of development of managerial thought, manifested, on the one hand, in the stable action of some management paradigms but, on the other hand, in identifying paradigmatic anomalies, in identifying the need for constant development of managerial thought, in the development of sought-after ideas and concepts of management, and even in the institutionalization of applied scientific research in the field of management throughout the country (in the form of SOL and SOML). Originality/value The paper attempts to attract the attention of researchers to the little-known Russian and Soviet authors and their little-known works in the field of management thought.

scholarly journals A study on the writing method of the history of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Chinese Characteristics ◽  
History Of ◽  
Development Route ◽  
The One ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeExpanding the research on traditional history of economic ideology into the research on the history of economics composed of three elements – history of ideology, history of policies and events – is a new idea for researching the history of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics. The start of the history of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics is consistent with that of the Sinicization of Marxist political economy and can be dated from at least 1917.Design/methodology/approachThe key point of the research on the history of ideologies of the socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics is to treat the relationship between theory and people properly, i.e. we should not neglect the effect brought out by the economists on theory construction while we attach importance to the theoretical contribution of the leaders and leading group of the Communist Party of China (CPC).FindingsFor the research on the history of economic policies of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics, on the one hand, we should clarify the relationship among ideologies, strategies and policies; on the other hand, we should not evade the summarization of lessons from history.Originality/valueBesides presenting the development route of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics under competition, the research on the events in the history of socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics should also help develop the socialist political economy with Chinese characteristics.

Locating the real William Colenso: reviewing a thirty year research journey

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-244
Author(s):  
Kay Morris Matthews
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
History Of Education ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Church

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of ongoing conversations between researchers and librarians. Without such conversations followed by the active purchasing of manuscripts, the important contributions of individual first settlers would likely remain untold. The research review that unfolds here is of one of New Zealand's significant first settlers, William Colenso (1811-1899). Yet, 30 years ago William Colenso was mostly regarded as a local rather than a national figure, renowned and ridiculed for his being dismissed from the Church Missionary Society for moral impropriety in 1852. By 2011, however, a conference dedicated to his life and work attracted both national and international scholars raising awareness and contributing unique knowledge about Colenso as missionary, printer, linguist, explorer, botanist, politician, author and inspector of schools. It is argued that such scholarship was enabled through the purposeful collecting of Colenso's papers over 30 years. Design/methodology/approach – The historical analysis draws from original documents and published papers chronicling the role and the views of one of New Zealand's first inspector of schools. A self-reflective review approach will show how new knowledge can enhance earlier published works and provide opportunities for further analysis. Findings – It will be demonstrated that as a result of ongoing conversations between librarians and researchers purposeful buying of archives and manuscripts have added fresh perspectives to the contributions William Colenso made to education in provincial New Zealand. Originality/value – This work is perhaps the first critical re-reading and review of one's own scholarship undertaken across 30 years within New Zealand history of education. It offers unique self-reflections on the subject focus and analyses of it over time.

scholarly journals Is ‘co’ in coworking a short for contradictions?

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 38-63
Author(s):  
Silvia Ivaldi ◽  
Annalisa Sannino ◽  
Giuseppe Scaratti
Keyword(s):  
Historical Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
Dialectical Approach ◽  
History Of ◽  
Coworking Spaces ◽  
Cultural Historical Activity ◽  
The One

PurposeBuilding on the existing literature and on a series of interviews conducted in very diverse coworking spaces, this article attempts at analyzing coworking by focusing on the historical evolution and heterogeneity of its interpretations, as well as the plurality of its realization in practice and prospective developments.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical framework adopted is Cultural Historical Activity Theory – a dialectical approach which allows the study of human activities as historically evolving and complex systems which change under the impulse of their inner contradictions. The analysis presented here starts with an overview of the history of the theoretical elaborations and discussions of coworking. The authors then focus on the experiences and interpretations of this phenomenon as conveyed by coworkers and coworking managers in the north of Italy – one of the most active coworking areas in Europe.FindingsCoworking first emerged as a way of promoting forms of work and organization that require simultaneous, multidirectional, and reciprocal work, as understood in contrast to forms that incorporate an established division of labor, demarcated communities, and formal and informal sets of rules. However, with time, coworking has evolved toward novel directions, giving rise to heterogeneous interpretations of it. Inquiry constitutes a deeper investigation of the heterogeneity of coworking. The take-away message here is that the prefix co- in coworking can be interpreted, through a play of words, to evoke multiple positions and views conveying internal contradictions.Originality/valueThe historical overview of coworking shows a strong differentiation and multisided interpretation of this phenomenon along two dimensions of historical development, namely, social and business, and outward and inward. The qualitative analysis of the interviews traces the different lived interpretations and conceptions of coworking. The analysis confirms, on the one hand, the complexity and heterogeneity described in the literature, and on the other hand, it enriches the literature by depicting the contradictory nature of the phenomenon, including how the historical and inner tensions of coworking are dynamically evolving in the concrete experiences reported by the managers and users in the coworking spaces.

A quiet revolution

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 511-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Pressey
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marketing Education ◽  
New Business ◽  
Undergraduate Programme ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Source Materials

Purpose The study aims examine the popular master narrative that marketing education in Britain first appeared in the 1960s and understand if its origins can in fact be traced to an earlier period. This is undertaken through an examination of the courses taught from 1902 to 1969 at the Faculty of Commerce, University of Birmingham, Great Britain. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on a number of primary source materials held at the archives at the Cadbury Research Library, University of Birmingham, that are related to the Faculty of Commerce. Findings The study identifies that marketing courses were being taught in Britain long before the 1960s by the new business schools; we can trace its origins to the beginning of the twentieth century at Birmingham. From 1902 onwards, marketing was consistently part of the syllabus of the undergraduate programme and it became part of the core syllabus of the post-graduate programme. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study require marketing education scholars and scholars of the emergence of marketing thought to revise their beliefs concerning the emergence of marketing education in Great Britain and situate this in an earlier period. Originality/value The paper demonstrates the historical value of studying early commerce syllabi and the manner in which marketing-themed content was delivered to students.

Through the eyes of an artist: consumption ethos and commercial art in Bengal

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-261
Author(s):  
Anisha Datta
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Business History ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Global History ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Commercial Art ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Space

Purpose Through a critical reading of a twentieth-century Bengali artist’s autobiography, this paper aims to attempt to demonstrate how commercial art and the consumption ethos symbolized by that art represented an archetypal bhadralok insignia. A close examination of this insignia reveals how the dynamics of modern liberal values mediating through the colonial capitalist structure in relation to the regional particularities of Bengal opened up a new space of cosmopolitanism, where there is an attempt to reframe cultural practices in the light of a broader global history of interrogation, reason, change and emancipation. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a historical analysis of primary sources. Findings It was found that the bhadralok-led Bengal School of Art influenced commercial art of early postcolonial Bengal. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to the region of Bengal. Originality/value This paper makes contributions to one of the less-researched, but very important areas, of business history in India.

China-North Korea relations: at a crossroad or same old, same old

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-318
Author(s):  
Young Joon Kim
Keyword(s):  
North Korea ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Recent Improvement ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conflict And Cooperation ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
History Of ◽  
State Relations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of the China–North Korea alliance that has been often described as “Lips and Teeth” or “Blood Tied.” Design/methodology/approach In order to make accurate assessment of the China–North Korea relations, this paper conducts indepth historical analysis of the relations. The relations between two countries were formed in 1940s and lasts until today. Findings However, by looking into the history of two countries, this paper argues that the bilateral relations are not an extraordinary but an ordinary state-to-state relations dictated by national interests. Changes in their calculus of national interests affect their relations. They cooperate with each other when they see mutual benefit in doing so and tension arises when there is a conflict of interests. What should be noted is that the changes in the nature of relations is different from the deterioration in the relations. Recent improvement of their relations supports this paper’s argument. Originality/value This paper suggests new look at the China–North Korea relations that has been considered as an extraordinary relations. The findings of this paper suggest that the alliance relation is not different from other state-to-state relations where conflict and cooperation occurs based on their national interests.

How Phillips saw the light

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 29-31
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Freak Show ◽  
The World ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
The One ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings The problem with developing a reputation of being something of an oracle in the business world is that all of a sudden, everyone expects you to pull off the trick of interpreting the future on a daily basis. Like a freak show circus act or one-hit wonder pop singer, people expect you to perform when they see you, and they expect you to perform the thing that made you famous, even if it is the one thing in the world you don’t want to do. And when you fail to deliver on these heightened expectations, you are dismissed as a one trick pony, however good that trick is in the first place. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

A tribute to Gwen Leighty

2006 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-86
Author(s):  
Jennifer Paustenbaugh
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Fund Raising ◽  
Personal Knowledge ◽  
Valuable Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Development Network ◽  
Fund Raiser

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to provide a tribute to the life and work of library fund‐raiser Gwen Leighty.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses personal knowledge and references to Academic Libraries Advancement and Development Network (ALADN) and LIBDEV web sites.FindingsThe paper finds that fundraising is connecting with people and the journey that each development officer must make while raising funds for their library.Originality/valueThe paper presents a brief history of ALADN and the valuable contribution one person made to the cause of library fund‐raising.

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