At The Interface of Past and Future Business : Lessons from the Quakers

Kavanagh, Donncha and Brigham, Martin (2017) At The Interface of Past and Future Business : Lessons from the Quakers. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2017 (1). ISSN 0065-0668

Abstract

This paper argues that there is much to be learned about business and by looking back at how the Quakers–who have been largely forgotten and overlooked in management studies’ founding narratives–were organized and how they ran their businesses. The paper presents a brief history of the Quakers focusing on the beliefs and practices that contributed to their success from 1650 to c. 1880, and which also contributed to their demise from the latter part of the nineteenth century onwards. We also reflect on the various lessons that can be learned through studying the Quakers and their approach to management.