Adam Smith: His continuing relevance for contemporary management thought

Abstract

This “Reflections on Europe” marks the end of the tercentenary of Adam Smith's birth as an opportunity to consider the relevance of his work beyond the epithet of “founding father of Economics.” Recognising the limited attribution his analysis has had thus far – at least explicitly – in modern management commentary, we discuss three themes in his work – labour relations, business ethics, and inequality – that are also germane to contemporary organizational thinking. In exploring how a Smithian lens affords a generative opportunity for advancing insight and debate around European management thought, we invite future scholars and practitioners to further engage with his ideas as a means of understanding business as inextricably economic, social, political, and moral.