4 Management types
Principles of Management
1. Discuss which of the four historic types of approaches to management is best suited to explain management. In your answer, please pay special attentions as to which extent each is dealing with the tasks managers have to carry out in all of the four management functions. Student Number: 20028996
Four Historic Approaches to Management
2
The meanwhile increased spread of nearly innumerable different approaches to management, also known as the „management theory jungle“ (Luthans & Stewart,
1977, p. 181) let it seem likely to discuss the relevance of at least the most important historic theories in order to find one, most-fitting explanation.
This essay is to provide an answer to the issue mentioned above while at the same time examining in how far each of the theories weights the demands made on managers during the fulfillment of their different functions.
Therefore I will develop the thesis that each of the four approaches puts strong emphasis on one, maximal two of the four managerial functions and is thus solely taken very limited concerning its suitability to describe management.
Beginning with the oldest type, the Classical Approach, there is to distinguish firstly between the so-called Scientific Management and the General Administrative Theory.
Each of them is again sub-divided into the work of Taylor and Gilbreth‘s, respectively
Fayol and Weber.
Always being convinced of the fact that there is „one best way“ to do a specific job
(Robbins& and Coulter, 2002, p. 42) Taylor focussed on a matter-of-fact-analysis of hitherto working method, followed by defining clear guidelines on how to maximize efficiency in the future. Gilbreth‘s in contrast, concentrated mainly on eliminating inefficiency by probing redundant hand-and-body motions.
However, both of them based their work on the principles of rationality, seeing primarily the work process itself, nearly independent from other influencing factors,
1. Discuss which of the four historic types of approaches to management is best suited to explain management. In your answer, please pay special attentions as to which extent each is dealing with the tasks managers have to carry out in all of the four management functions. Student Number: 20028996
Four Historic Approaches to Management
2
The meanwhile increased spread of nearly innumerable different approaches to management, also known as the „management theory jungle“ (Luthans & Stewart,
1977, p. 181) let it seem likely to discuss the relevance of at least the most important historic theories in order to find one, most-fitting explanation.
This essay is to provide an answer to the issue mentioned above while at the same time examining in how far each of the theories weights the demands made on managers during the fulfillment of their different functions.
Therefore I will develop the thesis that each of the four approaches puts strong emphasis on one, maximal two of the four managerial functions and is thus solely taken very limited concerning its suitability to describe management.
Beginning with the oldest type, the Classical Approach, there is to distinguish firstly between the so-called Scientific Management and the General Administrative Theory.
Each of them is again sub-divided into the work of Taylor and Gilbreth‘s, respectively
Fayol and Weber.
Always being convinced of the fact that there is „one best way“ to do a specific job
(Robbins& and Coulter, 2002, p. 42) Taylor focussed on a matter-of-fact-analysis of hitherto working method, followed by defining clear guidelines on how to maximize efficiency in the future. Gilbreth‘s in contrast, concentrated mainly on eliminating inefficiency by probing redundant hand-and-body motions.
However, both of them based their work on the principles of rationality, seeing primarily the work process itself, nearly independent from other influencing factors,
References: • Keithley, E. M. (1964). The Office Executive. California Management Review, 7, 8396. Retrieved October 7, 2010, from EBSCOhost database • Luthans, F., & Stewart, T Academy of Management Review, 2, 181-195. Retrieved October 7, 2010, from EBSCOhost database • Malcolm Warner, C. (1994). Organizational Behavior Revisited. Human Relations, 47, 1151-1166 • Robbins, Stephen P. & Coulter, Mary (2009), Management. 10th Edition. • Schollhammer, H. (1969). The Comparative Management Theory Jungle. Academy of Management Journal,12, 81-97 Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 28, 260-285. Retrieved October 7, 2010, from EBSCOhost database