Critiques of Management Theories - Assignment Example

? Critiques of Management Theories al Affiliation) Introduction Management theories involve the study and analysis of organizations for the promotion of ways and programs that enhance better administration, management, effectiveness and efficiency of organizations. These theories are more important conduced for the purposes of solving problems, bettering efficiency and productivity, and enhancing decision making within organizations to meet collective goals. This paper therefore gives an account of certain management theories by providing a detailed critique on each and how they affect organizational management. Additionally, the theories are going to be discussed in correspondence to the contributions of Frederick Taylor and Max Weber, and how they would have perceived each of these theories. Before getting into the main discussion of these management theories, foremost of all, Taylor’s and Weber’s contributions will thus be looked at briefly as discussed below. Frederick Taylor’s contributions to organizational management are considered very instrumental in changing the perceptions and approach to management. Taylor came up with what is known as scientific management. The theory is credited for the belief that it would improve the working environment by motivation employees through remuneration and maintaining that managers should concentrate on activities that promote worker’s cooperation. Weber on the other hand developed principles that came to be known as ideal bureaucracy which mostly insisted on the division of labor and specialization, positive relationship and competency as the key tools for effective management (Rainey, 2011). The Hawthorne Studies The Hawthorne studies were an analysis which was conducted between 1927 and 1932 at Western Electric’s Hawthorne Company in Cicero, Illinois. Several research teams engaged in the study including Elton Mayo and Fritz Roethlisberger from Harvard faculty members and William Dickson the head of Hawthorne’s employee relations research division. The study was focused on the effects of different levels of lighting on the productivity by controlling the lighting in the area in which the employees work. These were known as the physical and environmental influences of the workplace. The lighting or illumination studies also focused on the psychological aspects such as how lighting manipulates group pressure, leadership and teamwork. The employee’s group productivity was assessed and compared with that of another employee group whose lighting was left unaltered. The findings were that as illumination was increased in the experimental employee group, productivity also improved. This was suggested that it was due to the impact of the motivational effect on the workers as they were pleased by the attention from the researchers and as a result of the interests being shown in them during the study. Regardless of the experiment, one reasonable conclusion is that the productivity of the other group not exposed to lighting continued to increase considerably. The illumination studies after a while was therefore short-lived, but its evaluation effect is still practiced to date. These findings thus become the contributing factors to the strengths and weaknesses of the Hawthorne effect. The strength of this study is that it is surely a tool that gives a framework which can be used to increase the productivity of workers within an organizational set-up through the motivation of workers, appreciating their work input and output, and maintaining quality working environments. This can be applied in today’s hospitals and healthcare systems, by improving the working conditions and work environments of medical staff and other personnel. Additionally, it enhances motivation on medical workers when consistent positive changes are made in the working environment, thereby enhancing work behavior and quality service delivery from hospitals and the health care systems. On the contrary, the weaknesses of the study are that as much as it proved to enhance productivity, it is regretted that the workers only delivered because they were under pressure by the study hence might have biased the results. In addition, the Hawthorne studies were experimented within a tradition of scientific management. This can be proved based on the assertion that the other work group which was not tested by the Hawthorne research performed equally well on productivity. From the works of Frederick Taylor and Max Weber, the Hawthorne studies have been criticized in a way or the other. Taylor insisted that the effective approach to management is motivation of employees through remuneration. Weber on the other hand insisted on the division of labor and specialization, positive relationship and competency as the key tools to effective management. Taylor and Weber would therefore think that however much the illumination research of workplace lighting shaped the grounds of Hawthorne effect; it is of importance to note that changes in the workplace would generally have an effect on a temporary increase in productivity. Consequently, concluding remarks of Taylor and Weber would be that human factor in the workplace along with considerations such as motivation, specialization, positive relationships, and competency should be considered as very important to the productivity of the workers in an organization. Barnard & Simon (inducements-contributions equilibrium and the limits of rationality) Barnard and Simons incentive to management brings in many varieties of thought about management of organizations based on the concept of equilibrium and the limits of rationality. Equilibrium of an organization means the capacity to maintain the efficiency of an organization, meaning, maintenance of the equilibrium is very important in determining if the organization is productive or unproductive. In specific, Barnard’s organization equilibrium theory points out that when an individual tries to satisfy his or her own needs or motives, in many instances, enough satisfaction is not guaranteed due to several types of human limitations mostly induced by psychological pressure. For the limitations to be overcome then cooperation and coordination in the work setting is very important for productivity and efficiency of the organization. In Simon’s case, a worker participates in organizational responsibilities to achieve personal goals by receiving endorsements from the organization that compensates his or her responsibilities and sacrifices. As a result the inducement given to the worker determines the sustainability of the organization. In their contributions there are exceptional similarities that are used to measure equilibrium and limits of rationality. These similarities include ideas about authority, organizational equilibrium, and rationalism in decision making. According to their ideas, the accomplishment of organizational equilibrium is only possible in a condition where all workers in an organizational set-up coordinate their activities and work together as one. From their proponents, management together with inducements should be something that drives meanings into employee’s perception in order to shape the productivity of the organization through rational means of attaining goals, decision making, and coordination for the purposes of employee and employer satisfaction. The strengths of Barnard and Simon’s contribution are that it would help in balancing and maintaining the workers dimensions of cooperation, responsibility, coordination, decision making and communication within an organization. Their contributions also emphasize on the role of the effective leadership and productivity of workers as professionals and stewards of an organization thereby providing for organizational continuity. Out of their contributions workers are treated well and given inducements for them to better service delivery and productivity. This ultimately improves the general productivity of the organization. On the contrary, their contribution might have some weaknesses by bringing in a scenario where worker productivity will exclusively be based on incentive and inducement schemes. This may put too much pressure on the executives or senior officials of an organization in carrying out managerial roles therefore reducing the organization's productivity (Rainey, 2011). In today’s hospitals and health care systems, Barnard and Simon’s contributions in management could be applied to coming up with management motivational systems which can directly shape behavior, social cooperation, and rational means of attaining goals and carrying out duties. From the contributions of Frederick Taylor and Max Weber in management, it can be concluded that Barnard and Simon’s contributions to management are positive. This is because Barnard and Simon’s approach to managements concurs with the approaches of Taylor and Weber in that, motivation of employees through remuneration and positive relationship are key tools for effective management and enhancing the general organizational productivity. Furthermore, Taylor and Weber approaches were all based on the fact that effective management, leadership and rationalism in an organization are all based upon motivation and human behavior in the workplace. Social Psychology Social psychology is generally a sociological approach which involves the scientific study of people’s thoughts, behavior, and feelings as influenced by the social environment. In brief, it involves the study of human psychological functioning. It examines how the social world shapes systems of management through culture and relationship, what is widely known as social interaction. It is a theory that is aimed at evaluation of the complex social system in a workplace or organization in relation to the social world which in turn shapes the behaviors, ideas, thoughts and feelings of employees at a workplace. It also analyses the functionality of an organization together with its employees from the perspective of the psychological implications of organizational and management productivity. Several researches have been conducted to test the applicability and viability of this theory which have mostly been directed towards managerial decision making. The research proves that a company’s socialization program and how the employees relate within an organization creates openings for employees and managers to interact, which in turn reduces the gap of perceived social differences. Consequently, this encourages a closer and a freer relationship where managers and employees can effectively come up with constructive ideas, proposal, and behaviors that enhance decision making and an overall organizational performance. This thus not only makes the organization to establish and achieve goals, but also involves the social world and the entire organization system in productivity by mainstreaming the social psychological theories of behavior, cognition, feelings and emotions when it comes to the execution of duties. Some of the strengths of social psychology are that it can aid to mold and maintain the employee’s behavior, social cognition, and relationships which directly enhance the spirit of cooperation, responsibility, coordination, and communication within an organization. Social psychology can also be employed with employees to manage their concerns which they think affects the quality and quantity of work. Furthermore, as a theory that aids in teaching social issues and social relations to employees, it creates awareness towards organizational objectives while equally motivating employees perform well in their duties. Also, social psychology enhances effective leadership and productivity of employees through improved relationships and better understanding between managers and employees. Through this, the compatibility between the managers and employees progressively accomplish the achievement of the organization's productivity. On the contrary, their contribution might have some weaknesses as social psychology involves a learning process which might take a considerable long duration of time to be well established and used as a way of improving or influencing employee’s productivity. Social psychology can be employed and work effectively in today’s hospitals and health care systems. Its contributions in management could be applied to influence ideas, solution, and creativity especially in this department that deals with real life scenarios such as tests, prescriptions, research, and treatments. Moreover, social psychology is widely required as medical staff and health care personnel are consistently involved in social decision making and coming up with critical ideas which are unachievable if they are carried away from negative emotions and feelings. Frederick Taylor and Max Weber would take social psychology as a positive contributing factor in management. This is because when one looks at social psychology, it professes that it is a study which determines human behavior and relationships. This concept therefore implies that for the productivity of the organization, emotions, ideas and feelings determines competency and rational thinking which directly concurs with Taylor and Weber findings (Rainey, 2011). Human Relations Theory Human relations theory is usually thought as having its background in Hawthorne studies which has been discussed at the beginning of this article. Drawing close proponents from the Hawthorne studies, the vital concerns of this theory are that when workers are under observation and close monitoring productivity levels would go up significantly. Human relations theory therefore brings the notion that for effective management, workers need to be controlled and monitored closely to relieve autonomy at various working levels. The Human Relations theory thus ushered in a new management system where employees needed to be acknowledged, appreciated and engaged at an individual level. Judged in totality, the Human Relations theory most importantly promotes the concept that managers need to involve themselves with workers at a more individual level because employee’s productivity is widely determined by social and group values which managers can easily influence through motivations and encouragements. This ultimately fulfills the managers bid to pushing workers towards achievement and productivity. Due to the impact of close monitoring, appreciation and motivational effect on the workers, Human Relations theory just as in Hawthorne studies, can be applied in today’s hospitals and healthcare systems, by improving the working conditions of medical staff and other personnel. It may also enhance motivations among medical workers when they are acknowledged, appreciated and closely monitored, thereby enhancing quality service delivery from hospitals and the health care systems. This brings out the strengths of this particular theory. In contrast, the weaknesses of the study are that as much as it proves to enhance productivity, workers only deliver because they are under pressure and close monitoring therefore would not deliver if under self-management. This can be proved based from the facts of Taylor and Weber who insisted in their contributions that for there to be effective management, human factor in the workplace along with considerations such as specialization, positive relationships, and competency should be considered as very important to the productivity of the workers in an organization (Rainey, 2011). Contingency theory Contingency theory has been advanced and used as a behavioral theory in the field of organizations to explain how leadership and management are influenced. Contingency theory maintains that there is no any distinct way to design and organize organizational structure. The theory suggests that the best possible way should be contingent upon the internal and external conditions of the organization. The contingency approach to the organizational structure orientates the organization to the surrounding uncertainties faced by the organization. The chief aim of contingency theory is thus to come up with an organizational structure that can deal with uncertainties in the internal and external conditions efficiently and effectively. Managerial leadership on the other hand has influenced organizations of activities, by influencing things such as motivation of employees, planning, budgeting and decision making. Under contingency leadership, the success of leaders or managers is contingent upon the demands set forth by the situation. It is hence important for the manager or organizational leader to come up with a manageable or leadership structure that can deal with the uncertainties of the situational factors. This makes previous theories such as Weber’s theory of bureaucracy and Taylor’s theory of scientific management approach to be regarded as misleading because they leave out the fact that effective management styles and organization structures are extensively influenced by various aspects of the contingency factors. This therefore means that there are no set policies or theories that can be applied across all organizations because every organization faces its own set aspects of internal and external uncertainties. Some of the uncertainties that differ from one organization to the other include technology, government policies, customer preferences, supply networks and infrastructure amongst others (Rainey, 2011). Contingency theory has over the past been applied and authenticated to be successful in various organizations settings amongst them including the contemporary hospitality and health care system. In the hospitality and health care system, this theory can be employed to develop an organizational structure that responds to the various aspects of internal and external uncertainties with a focus that directly determines organizational attributes such as span of control, centralization of authority and formalization of rules and policies. Medical professional together with their leaders and managers should hence look at the contingencies of the environment they are operating in and equally assess whether or not the organizations are capable of dealing with the uncertainties of the internal and external environment (Rainey, 2011). Conclusion Historically, organizational management theories have been postulated, studied and tested for efficiency and practicability. They have been the backbone contributing to what is practiced and applied in modern philosophy. Managerial theories have also played an essential role in shaping present managerial and leadership systems, rules and policies in organizations. To sum up, theories of management will continue to be used as sources of knowledge as they have been authenticated as consistent elements influencing management, leadership and productivity of organizations. References Rainey, H. G. (2011). Textbook outlines to accompany: Understanding and managing public organizations, Hal G. Rainey, 4th edition. S.l.:Cram101. Read More