BETWEEN CRITIQUE AND CONSERVATISM: ELTON MAYO’S METHOD, POLITICAL THOUGHT AND APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Although often regarded as an innovative administrative thinker, Mayo’s books and research reveal a distinctly conservative stance. This conservatism has become so embedded in contemporary social sciences that it often goes unnoticed. The aim of this study is to demonstrate how Mayo could be both conservative and, at the same time, innovative and critical. A qualitative–interpretive research design is employed. The analysis draws primarily on Mayo’s major works alongside key secondary literature. To complement the interpretive thematic analysis, a content analysis based on the frequency of words in Democracy and Freedom (1919) and The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization (1945) was conducted. The study reveals Mayo’s conservative outlook, which prioritized spontaneous social developments and regarded abstract, intentionally designed concepts with skepticism. It also shows that, despite his resistance to abstract formulations, Mayo consistently relied on certain ideal concepts that shaped his intellectual journey.

Keywords

• Elton Mayo
• Conservatism
• Industrial Civilization
• Spontaneous Cooperation
• Informal Organization

BETWEEN CRITIQUE AND CONSERVATISM: ELTON MAYO’S METHOD, POLITICAL THOUGHT AND APPROACH TO MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Her ne kadar yenilikçi bir yönetim düşünürü olarak görülse de, Mayo kitaplarında ve araştırmalarında oldukça belirgin bir muhafazakâr tutum sergiler. Bu muhafazakâr tutum, günümüz sosyal bilimlerine öylesine yerleşmiştir ki çoğu zaman fark edilmez. Çalışmanın amacı, Mayo’nun bir yandan muhafazakâr olurken diğer yandan nasıl yenilikçi ve eleştirel olabildiğini ortaya koymaktır. Çalışma nitel–yorumlayıcı bir araştırma tasarımına dayanmaktadır. Analiz, öncelikle Mayo’nun temel eserleri ile birlikte ilgili ikincil literatüre dayandırılmıştır. Yorumlayıcı tematik analizi desteklemek amacıyla ayrıca Democracy and Freedom (1919) ile The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization (1945) eserlerinde kullanılan sözcüklerin sıklığına dayalı bir içerik analizi yapılmıştır. Bu çalışma ile Mayo’nun, spontane toplumsal gelişmelere öncelik veren ve insan iradesinin ürünü tasarımsal kavramlara kuşkuyla yaklaşan muhafazakâr bakış açısı açık biçimde ortaya konulmuştur. Ayrıca, Mayo’nun düşünsel yolculuğunda her ne kadar soyut kavramlara karşı çıksa da, sürekli olarak başvurduğu bazı ideal kavramlara sahip olduğu da ortaya çıkarılmıştır.

Keywords

• Elton Mayo
• Muhafazakarlık
• Sanayi Medeniyeti
• Kendiliğinden İşbirliği
• Resmî Olmayan Örgüt

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