The Evolution of Management

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Eras of Management

Kiechel (2012) categorizes management into three main eras.

The first era covers the years up to the Second World War (Kiechel, 2012).
The second era of management began in the late 1940s and carried on for approximately four decades until the 1980s (Kiechel, 2012).
The third era began in the 1980s to the present day (Kiechel, 2012).

Distinguishing Factors about the Eras

The first era is characterized by great ambitions and scientific exactness that led to the aspirations of a new group of self-proclaimed management elite (Kiechel, 2012).
The second era is described as an era of good feelings, and its highpoint was characterized by self-confidence and great public support.
The final era, which is ongoing, has shifted to specialization, being controlled by the market forces and a decline in moral ambition. The era is considered one of the worldwide triumphs and can be measured by a common approach to a specific idea and a steady increase in productivity (Kiechel, 2012).

How the Eras Compare and Labeling

The first era was characterized by a new middle class’s growth that was professionalizing and pushing for change in the traditional operating business methods. The progressive used science to develop new management approaches where they were grounded on laws, rules, and principles.
In the post-war era, however, the focus shifted to the human side of production. Humanity approaches were used in management. It was argued that the productivity of the workers could be enhanced if the workers are respected more. Proponents like Peter Drucker, recommended strategies such as worker empowerment. Leadership and innovation was the new theme. The era was also characterized by technology and the entry of trained managers that took up MBA training (Kiechel, 2012).
The main impetus for the changes was the democratization of the society that led to the changes. The post-war era saw leaders questioned how things were done before and put more effort into creating a good working environment for the workers (Kiechel, 2012). The scientific principles of before were replaced with worker empowerment approaches and other related humanistic principles.
The third era has been marked by leadership towards management training and leadership styles that puts high expectations on how workers need to be treated. The overriding theme has been leadership and innovation.

Reference

Kiechel, W. (2012). ‘The Management Century,’ Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2012/11/the-management-century