The Functions of the Executive
Detail of title page of eleventh printing
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| Author | Chester I. Barnard |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Harvard University Press |
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Publication date
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1938 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | xvi + 334 |
| OCLC | 555075 |
| LC Class | HD31 .B36 |
The Functions of the Executive is a book by Chester I. Barnard (1886–1961) that presents a "theory of cooperation and organization" and "a study of the functions and of the methods of operation of executives in formal organizations." It was originally published in 1938; a Thirtieth Anniversary edition, published in 1968, is still in print.
The book is notable for its focus on how organizations actually operate, instead of previous approaches to organizations that emphasized "prescriptive principles." It has been praised for being one of the first books to consider leadership from a social and psychological viewpoint. An article in Public Administration Review reported that an informal advisory panel voted it one of the most influential books in public administration published between 1940 and 1990. It was voted the second most influential management book of the 20th century in a poll of the Fellows of the Academy of Management, behind The Principles of Scientific Management by Frederick Winslow Taylor.
Barnard attended Harvard University between 1906 and 1909 where he majored in economics; however, he did not obtain a degree. After rising through the ranks at AT&T Corporation, Barnard became president of New Jersey Bell between 1927 and 1948. At New Jersey Bell, Barnard enjoyed "long hours of self-absorbed reflection and study."
In 1936, Barnard gave a lecture at Princeton University entitled "Mind in Everyday Affairs." In the lecture, Barnard described the differences between "logical" and "non-logical" (i.e., "intuitional") mental processes. He encouraged the use of non-logical processes "for many conditions and purposes."
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