New Publication in Business History

‘Progressive conservatism’: The evolution of paternalism as a means of management control at Michelin, by Bruno Cohanier & Charles Richard Baker

This study examines more than a century of how Michelin managed its workforce, showing that paternalism did not vanish with the rise of the welfare state, new labor regulations, or modern HR. Instead, it adapted. The article traces how the company blended material benefits, emotional bonds, and symbolic gestures to build loyalty and maintain authority from the 1880s to the present. This long perspective helps explain why some management practices endure even when institutions, worker expectations, and regulatory frameworks shift. The findings move beyond Michelin. They raise questions about how firms today use care, identity, and belonging to shape employee behavior. The study also reframes Corporate Social Responsibility as part of a deeper tradition: a strategy where social concerns support managerial control as much as community well-being.