This text demonstrates that American management ideas - still exported around the world as "universal verities" - are culturally specific to an historical United States, are inappropriate now and will be even more so in the 21st century. Amongst the topics considered: the carryover of 19th century pre-management notions into 20th century management; the emergence of industrial organization and big business; the evolving construct of the 'employee' throughout the 20th century; current management topics such as leadership, motivation, power, productivity, efficiency, work and the family; current management ideas such as "Total Quality Management" and "Reengineering". The critical history of US management thinking and discourse is concerned not only with the past and its influence, but also provides pointers to management in the 21st century.