The evolution of management as an interdisciplinary field

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide insights into the evolution of the concept of interdisciplinarity in management science and management education.

Design/methodology/approach

A range of recently published (1993‐2002) works, which aim to provide practical advice rather than theoretical books on pedagogy or educational administration, are critiqued to aid the individual make the transition into academia. The sources are sorted into sections: finding an academic job, general advice, teaching, research and publishing, tenure and organizations.

Findings

The paper finds that in the evolution of management education and management science interdisciplinarity took different forms: synoptic and instrumental. Both forms resulted from different knowledge strategies of competing and cooperating disciplines. It concludes that in The Netherlands instrumental versions of interdisciplinarity in management research and education prevailed.

Research limitations/implications

The paper studies the evolution of interdisciplinarity in management education and management science in the Dutch higher education context. It assumes that the pattern of evolution differs from country to country.

Practical implications

Interdisciplinarity is a complex concept. This study provides practical insights into the dynamics of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Originality/value

Much has been written about interdisciplinarity in science and education. However there is hardly any empirical and historical research on this topic.

Citation

van Baalen, P. and Karsten, L. (2012), "The evolution of management as an interdisciplinary field", Journal of Management History, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 219-237. https://doi.org/10.1108/17511341211206861