Contextual analysis and newspaper archives in management history research

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to reveal, how newspaper archives can support contextualisation in management history research by providing quantitative and/or qualitative, accurate, contemporary and cost-effective, data which is not always available elsewhere. Design/methodology/approach - The paper comprises a literature review, which summarises research into contextual analysis and newspaper archive theory; combined with content and textual analysis of articles published in the Journal of Management History and Management and Organizational History (2013-2017). Findings - The findings reveal that the concept of contextualisation is absent from recent management history articles and that few management historians use newspaper archival sources as a data collection strategy. Research limitations/implications - There is compelling evidence to suggest that contextual analysis can - perhaps should - be incorporated into management historians' research strategies because managerial organisations operate in open systems, which are influenced by external factors. Originality/value - This paper juxtaposes two neglected aspects of management history research, contextuality and newspaper archives, and proposes that a key source for historic contextual analysis is newspaper data.