About the book
The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed a remarkable growth of corporate welfare programs in American industry. By the mid-1920s, 80 percent of the nation’s largest companies — firms including DuPont, International Harvester, and Metropolitan Life Insurance — engaged in some form of welfare work. Programs were implemented to achieve goals that ranged from improving basic workplace conditions, to providing educational, recreational, and social opportunities for workers and their families, to establishing savings and insurance plans.
Employing the critical lens of gender analysis, Nikki Mandell offers an innovative perspective on the development of corporate welfare. She argues that its advocates sought to build a new relationship between labor and management by recasting the modern corporation as a Victorian family. Employers assumed the authoritative position of fathers, assigned their employees the subordinate role of children, and hired male and female welfare managers to act as “corporate mothers” charged with creating a harmonious household. But internal conflict and external pressures weakened the corporate welfare system, and it eventually gave way to a system of personnel management and employee representation. With the abandonment of the familial model, the form of corporate welfare changed; but, as Mandell demonstrates, its content left an enduring legacy for modern industrial relations.
Editions of The Corporation as Family
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807826850
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807853511
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807860397
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890873002
Read an Excerpt
The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed a remarkable growth of corporate welfare programs in American industry. By the mid-1920s, 80 percent of the nation’s largest companies — firms including DuPont, International Harvester, and Metropolitan Life Insurance — engaged in some form of welfare work. Programs were implemented to achieve goals that ranged from improving basic workplace conditions, to providing educational, recreational, and social opportunities for workers and their families, to establishing savings and insurance plans.
Employing the critical lens of gender analysis, Nikki Mandell offers an innovative perspective on the development of corporate welfare. She argues that its advocates sought to build a new relationship between labor and management by recasting the modern corporation as a Victorian family. Employers assumed the authoritative position of fathers, assigned their employees the subordinate role of children, and hired male and female welfare managers to act as “corporate mothers” charged with creating a harmonious household. But internal conflict and external pressures weakened the corporate welfare system, and it eventually gave way to a system of personnel management and employee representation. With the abandonment of the familial model, the form of corporate welfare changed; but, as Mandell demonstrates, its content left an enduring legacy for modern industrial relations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Corporation as Family about?
The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed a remarkable growth of corporate welfare programs in American industry. By the mid-1920s, 80 percent of the nation’s largest companies — firms including DuPont, International Harvester, and Metropolitan Life Insurance — engaged in some form of welfare work. Programs were implemented to achieve goals that ranged from improving basic workplace conditions, to providing educational, recreational, and social opportunities for workers and their families, to establishing savings and insurance plans.
Employing the critical lens of gender analysis, Nikki Mandell offers an innovative perspective on the development of corporate welfare. She argues that its advocates sought to build a new relationship between labor and management by recasting the modern corporation as a Victorian family. Employers assumed the authoritative position of fathers, assigned their employees the subordinate role of children, and hired male and female welfare managers to act as “corporate mothers” charged with creating a harmonious household. But internal conflict and external pressures weakened the corporate welfare system, and it eventually gave way to a system of personnel management and employee representation. With the abandonment of the familial model, the form of corporate welfare changed; but, as Mandell demonstrates, its content left an enduring legacy for modern industrial relations.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Corporation as Family?
Economics, Finance, Business and Management > Economics > Labour / income economics
Where can I read a sample of The Corporation as Family?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807826850
How long is The Corporation as Family and how many pages does it have?
The Corporation as Family has 232 page(s)
Is The Corporation as Family part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series The Luther H. Hodges Jr. and Luther H. Hodges Sr. Series on Business, Entrepreneurship, and Public Policy
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Corporation as Family?
Nikki Mandell
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Corporation as Family is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807826850) and paperback(ISBN 9780807853511) and ebook(ISBN 9780807860397) and pdf(ISBN 9798890873002)
Where can I buy The Corporation as Family online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Corporation as Family from below
Where can I buy The Corporation as Family?