This paper traces the evolution of managerial thought, from the time of industrialization in Europe to the present day, to build a conceptual infrastructure for studying the continuously evolving phenomenon of algorithmic management. We develop this account using Foucault’s genealogical method in order to expand the dominant view of algorithmic management as merely a form of digital Taylorism and to offer instead a richer and more nuanced view of historical managerial practices. We synthesize our genealogical reading into a framework we hope will sensitize future research on algorithmic management to the multiplicity of concerns about social implications of the algorithmic technology used to perform managerial tasks and functions.
