Understanding the frames before Fox: the development of unitary and pluralist views on organisations

Purpose: This article examines the intellectual antecedents of Alan Fox’s frames of reference, and contributes to academic work that seeks to unravel the pre-Donovan roots of British industrial relations. It examines the origins of the unitary and pluralist frames of reference with a particular focus on the work of Norman Ross.

Design/methodology/approach: It draws on published academic materials to examine the origins of the unitary and pluralist frames of reference.

Findings: The article identifies usage of the term ‘frame of reference’ in industrial relations literature from the 1940s, and demonstrates the origins of the unitary and pluralist conceptions of the firm in the works of Ross in the 1950s and 1960s.

Originality: The article provides a ‘fresh look’ at the origins of the frames of reference.