Rebirth of M. P. Follett’s Dynamic Management Thought

The purpose of this book is to reevaluate the dynamic management thought of M. P. Follett (1868–1933) and recreate it for the construction of a new society after the COVID-19 era. Here, the focus is especially on the main concept of her dynamic social process theory, “interweaving”, and showing its current applicability. It should also be noted that the time Follett created this concept was when the 1918 pandemic (“Spanish flu”) struck Boston. Based on her academic background in political science, philosophy, history, psychology, and related disciplines, Follett had many years of practical experience as a social worker in Boston and advocated a social view based on the dynamic interaction of individuals. It included “rebuilding social relations”, “social development as a continuous process”, and “creating a community experience through the interweaving of individual experiences”. One of the important issues that COVID-19 poses is the breaking and restructuring of human relations in communities and societies. The author believes that such an issue could be easily resolved by information and communications technology (ICT) networks. While it is a powerful tool, we are now aware that it also has the effect of isolating individuals and inciting conflicts. The author applies Follett’s ideas to approach such problems.

In this book, her perspectives on the “interweaving process of experience” and its position are emphasized as important concepts for creating new communities for the post-COVID-19 era. Expressed symbolically, they correspond to interweaving experiences in the internet society.