10176: Reclaiming Mary Parker Follett: Inspiring Research for Addressing Contemporary Challenges

Mary Parker Follett (1868-1933) was a philosopher and transformational thinker, recognized by some as ‘Prophet of Management’ (Graham, 1995). Her interdisciplinary inspirations came from philosophers, psychologists, political theorists, biologists, legal scholars, historians, physiologists, and economists. In particular, she did not recognize any boundaries between philosophy and management. Despite frequent acknowledgment of her importance within Management and Organization Studies, over the years she has been forgotten and then remembered, as well as misplaced and misremembered (Bednarek et al., 2020; Calás & Smircich, 1996; Calás & Smircich, 2021; Feldheim, 2003; Graham, 1995; O'Connor, 2011) Follett’s work, grounded in pragmatism and relational philosophy (Ansell, 2009; Simpson & den Hond, 2022, Stout & Staton, 2011), laid a foundation for understanding organizing through a relational and process-based views. It provides a robust theoretical foundation for addressing organizational complexities that are ever-present in a globally interconnected world. Her ideas around collaborative leadership, conflict resolution, and the role of social processes within organizations are not only foundational but also remarkably forward-thinking, aligning closely with contemporary research topics such as authority and negotiation (Bowles, 2012) paradox theory (Bednarek & Smith, 2024), collective leadership (Simpson, 2024), and conflict (Contu, 2018) in organizational studies. Moreover, Follett’s concept of “power-with” rather than “power-over” challenges traditional hierarchical structures, introducing a relational and inclusive approach to power that prefigures current discussions on participatory leadership, inclusivity, and sustainable strategic practices. This symposium invites scholars to revisit Follett’s contributions and consider how her principles can address the complexities of contemporary organizational life. By examining Follett’s theories through the lens of modern management research, we aim to explore how her concepts offer valuable insights for understanding and navigating today’s organizational dynamics and competing demands. Consequently, this symposium will be focus on a wide array of different areas of thinking about Follett’s work – conflict, negotiation, leadership, learning, and paradox - in relation to management and organization studies with the hope of prompting interesting debates. Importantly, this discussion aims to address an identified issue that has plagued contemporary scholarship drawn from Follett. As far back as 2003, it was noted that “Follett’s work has been lost and found repeatedly over the past half-century” (Feldheim, 2003, p. 341). That trend has continued since, and with enough historical perspective, it becomes a recurring motif of continuously forgetting to then remember Follett (Bednarek et al., 2020). As Calás and Smircich (Calás & Smircich, 1996) states it appears true that each revival of Follett as ‘prophet’ results in another instance of actively forgetting her. Others have pointed out that she is often misremembered or partially understood in contemporary “uses” of her thinking (Calás & Smircich, 2021; Stout & Love, 2017). This symposium will discuss how we might avoid this going forward within Management and Organization Studies. The panel discussion will reflect on how we can seek greater depth (rather than superficial) of insight in terms of their application and understanding by sharing lessons learned and aspirations for scholarship going forward. In discussing Follett’s contributions, we seek to cover the broad scope of her voice by bringing together an interdisciplinary panel of scholars who have drawn from her writings to navigate contemporary challenges in relation to negotiation (Bowles), paradoxical tensions (Bednarek & Smith), leadership (Simpson), communication and conflict (Putnam), and learning (Elkjaer). These perspectives span multiple divisions of the Academy, just as Follett’s own work does. Representing a depth of expertise regarding Follett’s underlying philosophy and approach the panel will zoom out to debate the broad tenants of Follett’s philosophical approach as well as zooming in to specific scholarly debates. This symposium seeks to offer support and spark insights for scholars interested in using or already drawing from Follett in their work.