History of Management - Coursework Example

 History of Management Introduction. Management in organizations and business is the function that bring together people’s efforts to accomplish objectives and goals using the accessible resources effectively and efficiently. It comprises organizing, planning, staffing, controlling and directing an organization to achieve the goal. Resourcing involves the manipulation and deployment of financial, human natural and technological resources. Management is also a social science, an academic discipline whose target is to learn the social organizations. Most of the management ideas rise from ideas that rose from different theories of different people in the ancient times. Some of the known theorists whose theory’s themes are still in use now are Fredrick Taylor, Henri Fayol and Max Weber. They developed scientific management theory, modern operational-management theory and bureaucratic theory respectively. Managers use the ideas in the theories to run their duties and perform the organization's activities to achieve their objectives. For example, many managers use the ideas to coordinate their workers, organize their plans, administer worker’s payments and employ skilled workers to achieve the company objectives. The Scientific Management Theory. Frederick Taylor developed the scientific management theory in 1880s and 1890s in the manufacturing industries. Scientific management is a management theory that synthesis and analyzes workflows. Its major objective is improving the efficiency of economics, mostly the labor productivity. It among the earliest attempts to use science in management and engineering processes. It needs a high-level managerial control of employee practices on their work and entails a high managerial workers ratio to laborers than the prior management periods (Frederick, 2007). The theory evolved in an era when automation and mechanization were infancies. The methods and ideas of the theory extended to the American manufacturing system in the craft transformation in automation and mechanization. Therefore, the over labor-displacing technologies concerns rose with the increase of automation and mechanization (Frederick, 2007). Hence, the theory influences some of the management strategies in today’s industries. The theory guide on the worker’s payment. Fredrick studied that some employees were more talented compared to others, and the smart ones were mostly unmotivated. He also observed that many employees that got forced to work repetitive jobs tend to work at a slower rate that is unpunished. The slow rate of working seen in most industries and most states and get termed by different terms such as soldering that reflect the script approach on following orders. Taylor used the soldering term and studied that, when the workers get paid the same amount, they tend to perform the task that the slowest in between them does. It reflects that employees have an own vested interest, and do not have any benefit from working over the defined work rate when it will not raise their remuneration. Therefore, he proposed that the work practice that has risen in many working environments was crafted, unintentionally or intentionally, to be inefficient upon its execution. Stephen added that the motion and time studies `combined with the synthesis and rational could uncover a good method for carrying on any task (Stephen, 2000). Although the scientific management is a distinct theory that was obsolete in 1930s, many of themes it has are still important in management and industrial engineering today. They include synthesis, analysis, logic, empiricism, rationality, efficiency, work ethic, and standardization, waste elimination of best practices. The tradition disdain is preserved to protect the certain workers social status. Finally, the craft production is transformed into knowledge transfer and mass production among workers documentation and processes (Stephen, 2000). Modern Operational-management Theory Henri Fayol was a classical theorist in management, and he developed the modern operational-management theory. The theories ideas are mostly part of the concepts in the modern management. Mostly he’s theories is like that of Taylor’s but it differed in his target and he independently developed his ideas. Taylors had concern with improving work efficiency and task time while Fayol focused on management and management behavioral and human facts (Katherine, 2014). Fayol writings guide the managers in accomplishing their managerial practices and duties they should engage. The theories had five management elements that outline the main responsibilities of a good manager. Firstly, he urges the managers on planning their objectives and strategies. They should draft them to determine the levels or stages of the technology and plan required to implement it. Secondly, the theory guides the managers on organizing the plan (John &Michael ed. at, 2002). The managers are supposed to organize and provide appropriate resources that are necessary for plan execution including tools, capital, raw materials and human resources. Therefore, most managers today organize their objectives and strategies to have a good plan. Thirdly, the managers are supposed to command. They have to utilize their authority and have a thorough understanding on long-term goals to command tasks and create decisions for development of the organization. Hence, helping the organization to achieve its objectives and to plan well their goals. Fourthly, good managers should have coordination. High-level managers should work to unite every activity to facilitate the success of the organization (John &Michael ed. at, 2002). Therefore, good communication between the manager and the workers and fellows managers is the key component to achieving the organization coordination. Hence, all managers in the industries ensure good coordination to have a good flow of working rate from their workers and thus, meet their objectives. Lastly, managers should be monitoring all the organization activities. To achieve the evaluation process, managers should compare each personnel activity to the action plan. Hence, the managers will easily determine those workers who are not working towards the plan and those working according to the plan or objective (Katherine, 2014). Therefore, Fayol theory focused on making the managers understand on how to carry out their activities so that they can achieve the organization’s objectives and plans. Bureaucratic management theory. The Max Weber management theory, bureaucratic, builds on Fredrick Taylor principles in the scientific management theory. Weber, like Taylor, advocates a system that has clear command chains and standardized procedures. Though, Weber stressed on efficiency and warned on technology emphasizing danger at the emotion expense. In his theory he also outlined the ideal principles of bureaucracy (Nicos, 1999). Weber got worried on the nepotism impact, fearing firms hearing people who do not qualify, hence, hindering the company efficiency. Therefore, his theory mostly mandated the managers to hire workers who have the skills for the job they are to handle. The managers are to access the applicant’s abilities accurately to ensure they hire only those fit for the task and the organization. Felix mentions several ideal principles for bureaucracy. One of them is having a hierarchical structure that is formal. Every level managed the level below and managed by the above level. A formal hierarchy acts as a centralized decision making and central planning basis. Management by rules is another principle. When the managers control through rules, they will be consistently execution of the decision made in the high levels by all levels in the lower part of the organization (Felix, 2013). The managers should ensure the organization through functional specialty. Every work is supposed to be carried out by specialist and organized people into the units on the type of work or skills they do and have. Finally, the employees are also supposed to be treated equally together with the customers, and they should not be affected by individual differences (Felix, 2013). Conclusion. From the discussion, the management ideas originated from ancient theories, and they are still applicable to date. The main theories used to come up with managerial decisions are scientific management, bureaucracy and modern operational-management theories. They help the manager in administering worker's payment accordingly, plan, organize and coordinate organizational plans and lastly guide in workers recruiting. REFERENCES Frederick Winslow Taylor ed. at. (2007). The Principles of Scientific Management. United States: Filiquarian Publishing, LLC. Stephen Waring P. (2000). Taylorism Transformed: Scientific Management Theory Since 1945. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press   Nicos Mouzelis P. (1999). Organization and Bureaucracy: An Analysis of Modern Theories, Volume 8. United States: Taylor & Francis  Felix Merz (2013). Max Weber ́s Theory of Bureaucracy and Its Negative Consequences. Santa Cruz GRIN: GRIN Verlag. Print Katherine Miller (2014). Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes. United Kingdom: Cengage Learning  John Wood C. and Michael Wood C. ed. at (2002). Critical Evaluations in Business and Management, Volume 1. United States: Taylor & Francis Read More