Purpose This paper aims to examine how peripheral innovators in secondary management functions gained professional recognition through consulting associations. It traces the career of Henri Bernaténé (1906–1995), focusing on how professional affiliations legitimised his contributions and enabled diffusion of his B.G. chart. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative historical case study is used, drawing on archival research, publications, biographical interviews and secondary literature. The analysis integrates Rogers’ diffusion model, recent work on ideational diffusion and the outsider innovator perspective. Findings Although peripheral to mainstream industrial management, Bernaténé gained recognition through professional affiliations and publications. Institutional support and linguistic niches were decisive in sustaining the visibility of his work. Research limitations/implications Evidence relies primarily on published sources and professional association records. Establishing direct causality between affiliations and diffusion is difficult with historical data. Nevertheless, the case demonstrates how institutional affiliations and linguistic niches enabled recognition. Practical implications Bernaténé’s trajectory offers lessons for contemporary practitioners in emerging fields – such as data analytics or AI ethics – where formal credentials do not yet exist. The case illustrates barriers to adoption and the continuing role of professional associations in legitimising new methods. Social implications The study challenges the conventional Anglo-American dominance in management history and demonstrates how peripheral or overlooked innovations can contribute meaningfully to global practice. More broadly, the research illustrates that valuable ideas often emerge outside the mainstream centres of power and that recognising such contributions is vital for building a more inclusive and diverse understanding of innovation. Originality/value This study highlights an overlooked figure and neglected function in management history. By integrating diffusion theory with the outsider innovator perspective, it offers a novel framework for understanding how peripheral innovations travel across cultural and national boundaries.
Ćwiklicki et al. (Sat,) studied this question.