Recreating the Arsenal of Venice: Using Experiential Activities to Teach the History of Management

Abstract

In works by Van Fleet and Wren and by Smith, a strong case is made for including a greater emphasis on the historical aspects of management in undergraduate introductory-level management courses. This article builds on these two works by providing specific experiential activities to assist instructors who wish to offer more depth to their classroom discussions on the history of management. Specifically, three exercises are provided that address key managerial concepts such as the assembly line, interchangeable parts, team building, the Hawthorne Effect, and the four functions of management. In addition, the first part of the article reiterates the importance of including more management history in an undergraduate principles course. Two appendices offer additional experiential activities and a brief timeline of management history milestones.