EN
The article presents, in chronological order, the dominant directives and reflections on the organisation of work, management, decision-making, effective functioning, leadership, strategies, quality and accountancy in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The topic is introduced with a discussion of the forms of organising collective work and how issues of quality were approached in these two epochs. This is followed by an overview of Arab thought on strategy and the functioning of organ isations as well as European thought and literature on organisation and management. The author discusses why management science could not have developed without scientific research methods. The paper ends with a look at Poland’s contribution to the development of organisation and management in the two periods.