Early Management Theories Relevant to the Modern World - Essay Example

Early Management Theories Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Executive Summary Management practices have been utilized over a long period of time. Some theories of management have also been utilized to explain the concepts of management. Several scholars have come up with different management theories over time and they all have different characterization and portrayal. However, most management theories emphasize on the efficiency of the organizations. The three major earlier theories of management that are popular include the theories of Weber, Taylor and Fayol. The concepts that are currently used in management are derived from the management theories that were put forward by the three scholars. According to the theory of Taylor, the scientific methods of management are important for an organization in terms of ensuring that aims and objectives are attained. Most concepts of Taylor are still practiced in the modern day organizations and have greatly contributed to success. The important concepts that are still applicable to date include the breakdown of the workloads. Taylor also emphasized on the concepts of training of employees as well as establishing departments that take care of the issues relating to employees and management of the organization. The concept of empowering the management and guiding employees is also applicable in the theory of Taylor and it has also been embraced in some modern organization. Scientific methods of management have contributed to the success of most of the modern organizations that continues to embrace its concepts. The management concepts that were put forward by Fayol are also relevant in the modern day organizations due to the emphasis that it places on the managers. The theory utilizes several concepts that are useful to the managers in terms of ensuring that the process is successful. According to the theory, the managers must act responsibly during their operations to ensure that they are accountable for their actions. Other principles that are still practical in the modern organizations includes; forecasting, planning, organization, commanding, coordination and controlling. The concepts of discipline and teamwork have also been emphasized and they form the basics for the modern day managers. On the other hand, the theory of Fayol also touches on important issues like specialization and division of labor which also applicable in most of the modern organizations. The theory of management according to Weber is mainly based on the concept of ideal bureaucracy which is also used in most of the modern organizations. Use of technology to enhance efficiency has also been highlighted in the theory and it is still applicable to date. The use of records and expert training is an important concept that is currently being undertaken by most of the organizations. The success of most organizations in terms of management is thus attributed to the three theories. It is also evident that the early management theories have played an important role in terms of shaping the modern concepts of management. Introduction Management involves the utilization of the human capital in achieving the goals and objectives of a manager. The concepts of management have a long history and it can be traced way back to the earlier times of the ancient Egyptians and the slave traders. Various theories have also been put up to explain the concepts of management. Some of the early theories of management are still in use to date while other theories are no longer in use. The coordination of efforts is aimed at achieving the goals and objectives of an organization and this is one of the concepts that are still applicable to date in terms of the management theories. Control and planning is also an significant concept that is applicable in the theories of management that are still useful to date. Henri Fayol is one of the scholars of the nineteenth century who put forward a theory of management that tries to explain the concepts of management. According to the theory, six concepts are applicable in the theory of management. Some of the concepts like the planning, forecasting, coordination, commanding, controlling and planning are still relevant to management in the modern world. The magnitude of the commercial operations has played an important role in terms of changing the concepts of management and hence the revolution that it has undergone. The concepts of management have also been changed due to the modern practices that have led to the changes in the methods of managing resources in organizations. The modern methods of managing resources ha changed due to the complexity in the methods of operations as well as the uses of technology (Sang, 141). The theory of scientific management is also applicable in the modern world. This is also one of the earlier theories of management that was put forward by Fredric Taylor. This theory is mainly concerned with the workflow in an organization and it is aimed at improving on the efficiency of operations within an organization. The modern organizations are still finding it useful to apply the theory in their day to day practices. The scientific management concepts are still useful in various organizations including the military and other business organizations. The modern concepts of management are important and are thus reliant on the earlier theories of management. The scientific theory of management is also referred to as Taylorism and it is still applicable in the business concepts. The bureaucracy theory of management is also an early management theory. This theory was put forward by Max Weber who emphasized that a business should be organized and designed into different hierarchies. A standard operational book is also required during the business operations according to the theory. The concepts of this theory are also applicable in the modern world. Most of the businesses are organized into different hierarchies and hence the presence of an organizational structure that defines the roles of each of the member of the organization. The concepts of management have thus undergone a lot of revolution although some of the theories are still applicable in the modern world (Killen, et al, 526). The theories are thus useful in terms of explaining the management concepts as most of the theories explain most of the management concepts. The paper thus discusses the theories of Taylor, Fayol and Weber in relation to the portions that are still relevant in the modern world. Discussion Fredric Taylor Fredrick Taylor was actively involved in the management theory through the use of scientific means. The scientific theory that he put forward mainly involved the breaking down of tasks with the management performing the scientific tasks while the employees performing the actual labor. According to the theory, each person should perform where they are comfortable. According to Sang, the theory also suggests that the complex tasks should be broken down into simple tasks mainly for ensuring the division of the tasks (145). The employees require the guidelines of the management to enhance their performance. The training of the employees is also an important concept that has put emphasized by Taylor. The training was aimed at of making the employees and management personally brilliant and hence improving on their performance. Performing tasks using the one best way was also emphasized by Taylor as a means of increasing productivity. This theory led to the establishment of quality control, personnel departments, human relations, organizational leadership and industrial engineering. The theory also suggests that the management should take over most of the tasks of guiding the employees. The theory thus emphasizes the use of scientific methods to enhance the management process. Workload can also be reduced through the use of the scientific methods and hence increasing efficiency at the workplace. The reduction of the workload is also provides relief to the employees and it prevents the incidences of the employees being overworked. This has played an important role in terms of enhancing the performance of the employees. However, this management theory has always received criticism as it tends to dehumanize the workers (Bedeian, 12). In the modern world, the training of the employees is still relevant and it plays an important in terms of equipping the knowledge and skills to the employees. The theory emphasized the training of the employees to ensure that their knowledge is updated and hence improving their performance. On the modern world, the concepts are always changing and hence the need for the employees to be trained on the concepts that are trending. The training of employees and management staff members has become an important management tool. Modern organizations allover the world usually invest heavily on the training of the employees and staff members every year with an aim of equipping them with the necessary knowledge required to enhance operations. The practical knowledge is no longer enough in the modern organizations as the concepts keep changing. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the training that the employees receive in schools and colleges are not enough. The performance of the employees who undergo training is usually high as compared to the employees who do no undergo training. The training of the management staff is also important in terms of ensuring that the management is conducted using the most recent methods. The use of technology is also an important concept of management and operations. However the technological concepts always undergo changes from time to time and hence the need for training of the employees. The changes are attributed to the enhancement of technology at a fast rate. Training is thus relevant to the modern organization and it is still an important tool of management (Bell, 109). Breaking down of tasks is one of the concepts that are currently used during management. This is usually done for the [purposes of ensuring that the tasks can be performed easily by the employees. This concept is used by most of the organizations that are involved in the production and manufacturing. It is also important to note that the braking down of tasks is suitable for most of the companies in terms of management. Managing the tasks is simplified when the tasks are broken down and hence increasing the efficiency of an organization. The mangers can easily monitor the operations when they are broken down and hence improving n the operations of the company. It is also important to note that the completion of tasks is usually made easier when they are broken down. This is especially important when it comes to dealing with the complex tasks. Most of the companies in the modern world also have different types of managers within a department. This is aimed at ensuring that the company is able manage all its operations due to the breakdown of tasks. The production and manufacturing companies in the modern world are usually managed effectively through the breakdown of the tasks which encourages the simplification of the tasks. Breakdown of tasks also plays an important role in terms of encouraging mass production in the modern organizations. It is also important to note that the breakdown of tasks in the modern world plays an important role in terms of encouraging specialization and hence increasing production. Most of the companies have been effective in terms of management due to the breakdown of tasks which is an important concept of scientific theory of management (Kulesza, 110). In the modern world, the personnel department is common in most of the organizations. It is responsible for the management of the issues that are related to the employees. This is one of the concepts that were highlighted by the scientific management theory of Taylorism. The concepts of Taylorism are thus reflected in the current world through the establishment of departments tat are in charge of the welfare and operations of the employees. On the other hand, the concept of organizational leadership is the most important aspect of management. In the current world the leaders plays an important role in terms of steering an organization to success. It is for this reason that the election of leaders in the current organizations is a complex process. The leadership of an organization also plays an important role in terms of determining the ability of the management to meet the goals and objectives of the organization. The greatest responsibilities in the modern organizations is usually placed on the leaders and hence its importance to an organization. The concepts of Taylor are thus useful in the current world as it has influenced the operations of an organization as well as the practices that need to be performed. The evolution of the management concepts has thus forced most of the modern organizations to adopt new techniques of management. However, the concepts of Taylor still play an important role in terms of defining management as well as determining the concepts to be used during the process of management (Jeanette, 108). Henri Fayol The management of theory according to Fayol put more emphasis on the role of the managers in terms of ensuring that an organization is able to achieve its goals and objectives. On the other hand, the theory also involves more administrative roles that should be performed by the managers with an aim of leading the company. Personal duties of management are also highlighted in the theory of management by Fayol. According to the theory, management has five main principle roles which should be played with an aim of meeting the goals and objectives of the organization. The five principle roles of management includes; planning, forecasting, commanding, coordinating and controlling. These roles play an important role in terms of ensuring that the management is successful in its operations. Specialization and division of labor is also a management concept according to the theory. The authority must also be responsible for its action and it should act with discipline. The management should also have a direction that will enable the organization to attain its goals and objectives. According to the theory, a central command will play an important role in terms of leading the company to achieve its goals and objectives. A line of authority should also be put in place within an organization for he purposes of ensuring that the management acts responsibly. This also plays an important role in terms of creating order within an organization. Espirit de Corps is also a concept of an ideal organization and it emphasizes on the personal efforts and team spirit among the members of an organization (Witzel, 8). Most of the modern organizations heavily rely on the concepts of Fayol in terms of management. Planning is one of the most important concepts of the modern organization. All organizations have plans of operations which are made by the management. This is aimed at meeting the goals and objectives of the modern organizations. On the other hand, forecasting is an important aspect of the modern organization. This is usually carried out to enable the management to meet its goals and objectives. The future forecast is also important in terms of determining the position of the organization in future. On the other hand, the forecasting process is important for the modern organizations in terms of decision making regarding the operations of the organization. The process of managing a modern organization is complex and it requires order within the organization. Commanding the employees working within the organization is an important aspect of ensuring that order is created within an organization. In most of the modern organizations, a chain of command is present and it enables the organization to carry out its business in an orderly manner. Through the presence of a chain of command, organizations are able to run efficiently as any issues affecting the employees can be addressed easily. The presence of a chain of command is also a concept of the theory of Fayol and it plays an important role in the management of an organization. The five principles of management are thus important in terms of ensuring that the company is able to meet its goals and objectives. The modern world therefore relies heavily on the concepts of Fayol to carry out the managerial duties (Cameron, 478). All the managers in the modern world are supposed to carry out their duties with a lot of responsibility. The managers usually take responsibility for their actions. This is an important concept of Fayol and it has influenced the management of the modern organizations. The concepts of responsibility have been reinforced further with the concepts of discipline. Every organization in the modern world always insists on the importance of discipline among its managers. The concepts of direction are still relevant in the modern world in all the organizations. It is for this reason that most of the modern organizations have established their aims and objectives together with missions and vision. The direction that the company intends to take plays an important role in terms of providing guidance to an organization. The concept of centralization is still practiced by some of the organizations in the modern world. This is common to some of the multinationals which have several branches allover the world. Personal efforts and team dynamics plays an important role in the modern world. Team dynamics is encouraged by most organizations in the world. Teamwork is usually practiced in the modern organizations to ensure that it is able to achieve its goals and objectives. Creating a good working relationship among the employees is usually achieved through the use of teamwork. This is because teamwork encourages the close interaction among the employees working in the team. The success of most mangers in the modern world is attributed to the concepts of Fayol which has impacted positively on the modern organizations (Sonia, 500). Coordination of activities with an organization is an important aspect of the theory of Fayol. This concept is commonly used in the modern organizations to ensure that the management can account for the activities that are taking place in the organization. The coordination of the activities is usually related to the control that is common in most of the organizations. It is always common for organizations to establish control of the activities within their environs to guarantee that it is able to carry out its activities as planned. Specialization and division of labor is a common aspect of most modern organization. This is usually done with an aim of ensuring that an organization is able to carry out different activities. The employees of most organizations are also able to achieve job satisfaction through the process of specialization and division of labor. This is because the employees are usually assigned the duties that they best understand and hence ensuring better performance within an organization. The theory also emphasizes that a leaders should have authority in order to ensure that they operate efficiently. This however requires the leaders to be responsible. The responsibility of the leaders also plays an important role in terms of defining the face of the organization. Most of the organizations usually give their leaders the power to work with authority. However, this is usually accompanied by responsibility which holds the leaders accountable. The responsibility plays an important role in terms of establishing checks and balances of the leaders. Most of the concepts of Fayol are thus relevant to the modern organizations. They also play an important role in terms of ensuring that the mangers are able to discharge their duties effectively (Hatch, 12). Max Weber The theory of Max Weber is based on ideal bureaucracy which is important in terms of managing an organization. The theory of Max Weber has some concepts of Taylor which are also applicable in the modern world. According to the theory, the organizations were shifting from the traditional values of operations which required the use of technology to guarantee success. The changes in terms of civilization was also taking place and hence the need for ideal bureaucracy. However, the theory does not support bureaucracy due to its negative impacts that it may have on the organizations. Taneja notes that a set of principles were also established by Max Weber with an aim of guiding the theory of management (491). The principles that were put forward by the theory includes; fixed and official jurisdictional areas, hierarchy of super and subordination, expert training, management using written records, prioritizing the official activities and the use of the knowable rules to achieve the aims and objectives of the organization. Efficiency is one of the important aspects that are targeted by the theory as it emphasizes on the changes in terms of the management of the resources of an organization. Weber also emphasizes on the importance of using technology to ensure that the organization is able to meet its goals and objectives. According to the theory, the dealing with individual cases is a little bit challenging. The theory of management according to Weber is thus considered important in terms of improving on the management of an organization (Bryan, 15). The modern organization has also borrowed most of the concepts of Weber in terms of management. The concepts of hierarchy in organizations are evident. All the organizations have a certain hierarchy which is followed and this is mainly aimed at running the organization efficiently. The hierarchy plays an important role in terms of defining the organization and the roles of each member of the organization. This is clearly defined in the modern organizations through the use of an organizational chart. The organizational chart in the modern organization plays an important role in terms of defining the hierarchy within an organization and a chain of command. Through the use of an organizational chart, the organization is able to define the role of each employee and their position within the organization. It is thus evident that the concepts of Weber are applicable in all the organizations in the world regardless of their nature and operations. The hierarchy within an organization also promotes a sense of order as each employee knows their position as well as their role in the organization. It is also important to note that the modern day organizations cannot operate without an organizational chart. Knowable rules and regulations are also found in every organization in the modern world. The management always comes up with rules and regulations that are important in terms of operating the organization. Each employee is usually informed of the rules and regulations of the particular organization and they are supposed to abide by it at all times. The failure of the employees to abide by the rules and regulations are usually met with penalties (Watson, 16). Expert training is an important concept that was put forward by Weber in the ideal bureaucracy theory of management. Expert training according to the theory is for equipping the staff members with adequate knowledge and skills that will enable them perform their duties effectively. This is usually conducted by experts on a continuous basis. The modern organizations depend on the expert training with an aim of improving the knowledge and skills of their employees. This is also considering that new ideas always come up and the members of staff need to update their skills. On the other hand, the use of technology plays an important role in terms of increasing efficiency within an organization. Weber focuses on the shift from the traditional methods of management to the use of technology. Technology is currently being used by most of the organizations in the world in terms of management as well as operations. This plays an important role in terms of increasing efficiency in the organizations. The use of technology simplifies the operations of most of the modern day organizations. The modern organizations no longer rely on the traditional practices as automations of services are used and it simplifies operations. The accuracy of performing activities is also enhanced through the use of technology. This plays an important role in terms of reducing the costs of operations in the modern day organizations. The expert training of the employees in most cases focuses on the use of technology with an aim of improving on the management as well as operations of an organization (Hugh, 11). Record keeping is one of the basics of the modern day organizations. All organizations keep written records regarding their operations. Different records are currently being used by organizations in the world. In the modern organizations all the departments within the organization use written records for the managerial purposes. Through the record keeping process, the organizations are able to measure their performance and hence enhancing their capabilities. The number of transactions being carried out in the modern day organizations is demanding. This requires the efficient management through the use of records. Official activities are highly regarded in the Weber theory of management. In the modern world, official activities are usually given the first priority. This ensures that the important activities are executed first. The activities that are least important are usually given the last chance in the modern organizations. This is an indication that the principles of Weber are still regarded highly in the modern world. All the organizations in the modern world also strive to attain efficiency. This is through the applications of different principles and technological aspects. The organizational goals and objectives are usually made in line with the demands of the organization which is also an important aspect of the theory of Weber. Most of the management concepts in the current world are thus derived from the principles of Weber. This has also played an important role in terms of improving on the performance of the employees (Cummings, 81). Conclusion In conclusion, it is evident that the early concepts of management have influenced the concepts of management in the modern world. It is evident that the concepts of Weber, Fayol and Taylor have greatly influenced the modern organizations. The modern organizations have undergone a lot of changes in the recent past but most of the early management concepts have remained intact. Some of the concepts like technology play an important role in the modern organization. This is an important aspect of management that was put forward in the early management theory. However, it is also important to note that most of the concepts that are still applicable to the modern organization are aimed at increasing the efficiency of operations. The concepts of early management theories also play an important role in terms of creating a good relationship with the employees. Taylor theory mainly utilizes the scientific concepts for enhancement of management in an organization. This is applicable in most of the modern organizations which utilizes the scientific concepts by simplifying complex workloads and hence reducing the complexity. On the other hand, Fayol puts more emphasis on the roles of the managers in terms of their operations. The concepts have been widely used by most of the managers in the modern world and it has been quite successful. Weber on the other hand utilizes the concepts of ideal bureaucracy which are aimed at streamlining the operations of the organizations. It is also evident that the three theories mainly emphasize on the efficiency of operations and utilization of the management practices for the purposes of success. The management concepts from the early management theories have therefore become part of the modern organizations and every organization utilizes at least one or more early management concepts. 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