Management Theory

Management Theory


Pre-Classical Theory

Evolution of management theories pre classical contributors laid the groundwork for subsequent, broader inquires into the nature of management. Robert Owen: He laid the groundwork for the human relation movement. He was the one who realized the importance of human resources and emphasized on improving the living conditions of the employees. Charles Babbage: known as the “father of modern computing". He introduced the concept of work specialization i.e. the degree to which work is divided into various jobs. Henry R. Towne: realized that management techniques could be applied factories. He outlined the importance of management as a science and called for the development of management principles that cannot be used in all types of management situations.

CLASSICAL VIEWPOINT: A management approach that emphasizes the total organization and ways to improve overall effectiveness and efficiency. Have three approaches: Scientific Management: A management perspective that focuses...

Classical Theory

Classical Management Theories There are three well-established theories of classical management: Taylor's Theory of Scientific Management, Fayol's Administrative Theory, Weber's Theory of Bureaucracy. Although these schools, or theories, developed historical sequence, later ideas have not replaced earlier ones. Instead, each new school has tended to complement or coexist with previous ones. Taylor's Theory of Scientific Management,
Frederick Taylor (1856-1915) "The Father of Scientific Management".Scientific Management theory arose from the need to increase productivity in the U.S.A. especially, where skilled labor was in short supply at the beginning of the twentieth century. The only way to expand productivity was to raise the efficiency of workers.Taylor devised four principles for scientific management theory, which were:
1. The development of a true science of management, 2. The scientific selection and training of workers, 3. Proper remuneration for fast and high-quality work4. Equal division of work and responsibility between worker and managerLimitations of The Theory of Scientific Management:Although it maximized efficiency and productivity but its main limitation was ignoring human aspects of employment. This is manifested in the following:Some workers and unions opposed this theory because they feared that working harder or faster would exhaust...

Behavior Management Theories

There are many ways for a teacher to implement classroom management. Some are highly effective; some may need to be re-addressed. What is crucial though, is that all teachers have some form of behavior management system in place which will enable them to not only control their class, but will also allow for a healthy and productive learning environment.
As with most aspects of teaching, a teacher’s personality and their actual method of implementation in regards to management techniques will have a direct bearing on the outcome. Consequently, what may work for one person, may not work for another, or, it is possible that a school’s ethos or policy statements, may not allow for a teacher’s particular behavior management style.
Three approaches are listed below, but there are many more and it must be noted that it is often the case that they are not exclusive to one another. Different behaviour management systems may be overlapped as a teacher establishes the best system for themselves, and significantly, for the particular class under their care.


Quantitative Theory

During World War II, mathematicians, physicists, and other scientists joined together to solve military problems. The quantitative school of management is a result of the research conducted during World War II. The quantitative approach to management involves the use of quantitative techniques, such as statistics, information models, and computer simulations, to improve decision making. This school consists of several branches, described in the following sections.
Contingency Theory
Contemporary theories of management tend to account for and help interpret the rapidly changing nature of today’s organizational environments. As before in management history, these theories are prevalent in other sciences as well.
Basically, contingency theory asserts that when managers make a decision, they must take into account all aspects of the current situation and act on those aspects that are key to the situation at hand. Basically, it’s the approach that “it depends.” For example, the continuing effort to identify the best leadership or management style might now conclude that the best style depends on the situation. If one is leading troops in the Persian Gulf, an autocratic style is probably best (of course, many might argue here, too). If one is leading a hospital or university, a more participative and facilitative leadership style is probably best.