Management Ante Management: Proverbial Expressions with Management and Administration Meaning in the Ancient Books of Wisdom
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56177/12icmie2025.179Keywords:
management and administration, books of wisdom, paremio-management, proverbial expressionsAbstract
This essay presents a novel perspective on the old books of wisdom from that perspective of displaying, besides cultural heritage and particular value, meanings of management and management (good governance included), yet applicable – mutatis mutandis – in current circumstances, too. The ancient examples discussed were produced many centuries and millennia ago, well before the seminal works on scientific management were (end of the 19th century–beginning of the 20th century). The research approach consisted of identifying proverbial expressions and formulations (relevant from the standpoint of management) in works from antiquity (known as books of wisdom). Then these relevant fragments were extracted and discussed in the contemporary environment, still understanding the original circumstances when they were generated. The purpose of this paper is to display a part only of this effort, limited to three representative examples from ancient Chinese, Indian and Mesopotamian books of wisdom. There are two main objectives while investigating this less studied area: (i) to provide a definitive answer relative to the existence of such fragments; if the answer is positive then (ii) to assess and discuss their characteristics. This endeavour contributes at better understanding ancient roots which served as necessary philosophical and practical background for later contributors to the contemporary scientific management and administration science. The implications are multifaceted, on a large range, not only for management and its origins: from cultural and philosophical to social and historical perspectives, for both synchronous and longitudinal comparative studies. Deeper studies may provide evidence for the ancestors’ way of life and work, about their crafts and trades, money and business, about how their institutions were administered, communities were ruled and, ultimately, they have progressed and developed.
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