Scientific Management Theory
Management is the process of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling people in the organization to effectively use resources to meet organizational goals(Learning, 2013). Many theories have been fronted that aimed to analyze how management was conducted to produce the best result. These theories stem from the classical management theory which was introduced during the industrial revolution era. The main aim of the theory was to create ways that increased the efficiency and output of employees and as a result, increase productivity for the organization. Classical Management Theory comprises three primary theories, that is Scientific Management Theory, Bureaucracy Theory and Administrative Management Theory. This essay aims to analyse the roles of management in the primary theories and their relevance in today’s workplace.
Scientific Management Theory
This theory was developed by four managerial theorists namely: Frederick W. Taylor, The Gilbreths and Henry Gantt. They employed scientific analysis methods to find out the best way to perform a task which led to increased the efficiency of the workers and increased productivity of the organization. Frederick W. Taylor observed that there was a disconnect between the managers and the workers, as the managers were not aware of the daily work performed by the workers. From this he embarked on breaking down the jobs into different components and using his stopwatch, he timed them to figure out the most efficient way of working. The next step would be to match the workers to the jobs based on their skills and train them. The role played by the managers in this context would be planning and training. The Gilbreths, on the other hand, observed the movement and motions of the workers and its effect on workers productivity through recorded films. As a result, they created the most efficient workflow for a particular task. They also pioneered the creation of training videos. Henry Gantt’s contribution to this theory was the creation of the Gantt chart (a visual breakdown of a project) and the task and bonus system (use of money as a motivation to work). This theory introduced the idea of job specialization and the role of planning and training for management. In today’s world, this theory is applicable in large manufacturing companies such as Ford where processes need to be standardized for maximum efficiency. Delivery companies such as FedEx apply the same theory.
Bureaucracy Theory
This theory was developed by Max Weber. He grew up in an environment where management positions were awarded to people based on their social status in the community. This led to the development of the Bureaucratic management theory which focused on the organization as a whole. The theory creates guidelines an organization should follow with regards to its division of labour and roles of the authority. It also emphasized on the employment of workers and leaders based on their qualifications. This theory led to the creation of the Pyramid organizational structure used in today’s organizations. This structure divides the roles and responsibilities into departments and teams. This can be seen in the school system, where the administration and teaching are two different departments that comprise different teams.
Administrative Management Theory
This theory key focus is the manager and the functions of a manager in an organization. Henri Fayol, a mining manager, experienced the effects of inefficiency and lack of responsibility from managers in his line of work. He later published a book in 1916 called General and Industrial Management(Learning, 2013), where he laid out the key principles that should guide management behavior. Fayol also introduced the five key functions of management which are Foresight, Organization, Command, Coordinate and Control. In today’s world, these functions have evolved into planning, organizing, leading, and controlling roles.
Classical management theory lays the foundation of how organisations should be structured. It is mainly applicable in designing the organizational process improvement. Although the principles produced an efficient workforce, it failed to incorporate the human aspect of the organization. This led to an increase in workers union activities advocating for
A more human workplace.