The Economic Ideologies of French Employers in the 20th Century

Historiography of ten minimizes employers’ intellectual contribution even though the major ideologies (socialism, laisser-faire, etc.) were necessarily connected to how economic power was wielded within companies. In such questions, employers couldn’t be neutral. Production, management, acceptable social and economic regulations pose controversies and fuel contrasting worldviews. The 20th century thus saw employers’ economic ideologies transformed both theoretically and organizationally. Laisser-faire clearly dominated in the battle of ideas while rival doctrines such as corporatism now seem out of date. Meanwhile, employers professionalized their ideological messages by developing think tanks and recruiting economic experts.