ABSTRACT
In the literature on management as a practice, some have located its origins in ancient times, namely by trying to identify parallels for current organizational arrangements, activities and roles in religious institutions and public administration. These early organizations, which Chandler labelled unitary or U-form, also saw a differentiation of managers in terms of their hierarchical levels and their functions within the organization. The introduction of the M-form signified both a qualitative and a quantitative transformation in the process of managerialization. In a marked parallel with some historical accounts of management practice, those looking at the history of management thought often seek its roots in ancient civilizations with references to legal codes, government hierarchies, military administration, and rules for the conduct of business. Focusing on consultants, Ernst and Kieser suggested that they used the inherent fears of managers of being left behind by competing organizations to make them "addicted" to the successive waves of fashions.
