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The formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in Philadelphia in 1794 marks the beginning of sustained trade union organization among American workers. -
The first modern school of thought concerning management was based on Frederick Taylor’s principles of scientific management and emerged in the late 1800s. The principles behind scientific management included emphasizing the system rather than the employee, and placing the role of managers above the role of non-managerial staff. -
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is the United States' first business school. -
Fredrick Taylor "The Principles of Scientific Management." In this, he proposed that by optimizing and simplifying jobs, productivity would increase. He also advanced the idea that workers and managers needed to cooperate with one another. -
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took place mostly during the 1930s, beginning in the United States. The timing of the Great Depression varied across the world; in most countries, it started in 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of the 20th century. The Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how intensely the global economy can decline. -
In 1932 Elton Mayo started to question the principles behind scientific management. Through the Hawthorne experiments, Mayo concluded that human factors were more critical to motivating employees to greater levels of productivity. -
a confrontation in which ended in four workers were shot to death by the Dearborn Police Department and security guards employed by the Ford Motor Company. More than 60 workers were injured, many by gunshot wounds. Three months later, a fifth worker died of his injuries. The march was supported by the Unemployed Councils, a project of the Communist Party USA. It was an important part of a chain of events that resulted in the unionization of the U.S. auto industry. -
Kurt Lewin researches organizational development and group dynamics. -
The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (also known as the Wagner Act) is a foundational statute of United States labor law that guarantees the right of private sector employees to organize into trade unions, engage in collective bargaining, and take collective action such as strikes. -
Daniel Pink published Drive, a book that formed the basis of drive theory. This theory builds upon older motivational theories but moves away from the notion that a system of rewards and punishments through extrinsic factors can motivate people. Rather, it is intrinsic factors such as autonomy, mastery, and purpose that are responsible for human initiative.