Chester Barnard

This article is about the business executive and scholar. For the American football player and coach, see Chester S. Barnard.
Chester Irving Barnard
Born(1886-11-07)November 7, 1886
Malden, Massachusetts
DiedJune 7, 1961(1961-06-07) (aged 74)
New York City
CitizenshipAmerican
Known forThe Functions of the Executive (1938)
Scientific career
FieldsOrganizational theory

Chester Irving Barnard (November 7, 1886 – June 7, 1961) was an American business executive, public administrator, and the author of pioneering work in management theory and organizational studies. His landmark 1938 book, The Functions of the Executive, sets out a theory of organization and of the functions of executives in organizations. The book has been widely assigned in university courses in management theory and organizational sociology.[1] Barnard viewed organizations as systems of cooperation of human activity, and noted that they are typically short-lived. According to Barnard, organizations are generally not long-lived because they do not meet the two criteria necessary for survival: effectiveness and efficiency.

  1. ^ Chester (Irving) Barnard Biography (1886 - 1961) on biography.com. Retrieved 16 June 2008.