Adriano Olivetti: A pedagogical approach to work

Abstract

During an itinerant journey in the United States in 1925, Adriano Olivetti (1901-1960) – the well-known intellectual and entrepreneur of the factory producing the iconic typewriters and calculators beacons of efficiency around the world – started to think about strategic choices in business organization and human resources training (Olivetti, 2016). On this journey, he studied American production systems to find effective solutions against the alienation of personnel, contrasting Taylor’s productive system that prioritised profit. This paper wishes to investigate the thoughts and choices of Olivetti about the scientific management of work (Novara, 1973), about training professionals in the brand-new Centro Formazione Meccanici (CFM, 1936) and the training of managers at IPSOA (1952). All these practical initiatives were meant to provide a generative support to business profit.

Keywords

• history of work pedagogy
• scientific management of work
• taylorism
• italy
• 19th century