Critical Analysis of the Management Theories - Coursework Example

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MANAGEMENT THEORIES (Name) (Instructor) (Institution) (Course code) (Date) Introduction There has been a widespread increase at the beginning of the last century in factory manufacturing and the size of organizations. The organizations are always trying to find ways to motivate workforce to enhance productivity. The desire for management ideas led to the contributions of classical theorists such as Henri Fayol and Frederick Taylor. Taylor handled the generation of scientific management theory whereas Fayol invented the administrative management theory. Elton Mayo was the predominated figure in the Hawthorne studies and gave a contribution to the Behavioural viewpoint. As a result, Human Relations Movement gave rise to Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y approach. There are some differences and similarities between their theories due to the implementation term. The goal of the theory gives a view of the organizations. However, the contingency theory helps refute the differences that occur because it allows the application of the relevant to particular situations. Scientific Management by Frederick Taylor Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) was an American engineer and inventor who practically applied both his engineering and scientific knowledge in management and development of a theory known as the scientific management theory (Schermerhorn, 2011, p.32). He also wrote two most important books on his theory; The Principles of Scientific Management (1911) and The Shop Management (1903). The scientific management theory exists in many other types of businesses and also in nearly all modern manufacturing firms. His imprint is available in design planning, quality control, production control, process, ergonomics, as well as cost accounting. For an individual to understand the scientific management principles, he/she is required to be able to be conversant with the manufacturers’ production of their goods and most important how they manage their employees. It is also essential in understanding the need of data analysis, or the quantitative analysis and the needed numbers to enhance both efficiency and effectiveness in production (Kanigel, 2005, p. 19). Principles of Scientific Management Theory Scientific management theory in general terms is the application of principles of industrial engineering to come up with a system that can result into waste avoidance. As a result, there is an improvement in the method and process of production, and a fair distribution of these goods. These improvements experienced become a cornerstone in trying to address the need of the employers, workforce and society in general. His theory has four main principles for management. These principles are: 1. Actively gathering, analysing, and converting information to rules, laws, as well as mathematical formulas for completing tasks. 2. Making use of the modern scientific approach in the selection, hiring and training of the new staff. 3. Enabling the workers to use scientific methods in handling their roles and responsibilities 4. Allocation of the work correspondingly between employees and managers. Management uses scientific techniques to plan while the human capital perform the tasks basing on the set plans Frederick Taylor used the collection and analysis of data to study management. For instance, he carried out motion studies to enhance efficiency. Taylor studied the motions needed to fulfil a task, he came up with a way of breaking the task into manageable component motions and discovered that it was the most effective and efficient manner to handle the work. Observation of the number of distinct processes that are carried out to shovel coal into a furnace is an example of a motion study. The task has its discrete constituents, such as picking the shovel, walking to the coal and bending over to scoop the coal. The worker then bends back up and walks to the furnace, and finally depositing the coal. The most efficient means to carry out the entire job was developed and the workers given instructions on the application of the method (Trahair & Trahair, 2005). Frederick Taylor vs. Henri Fayol Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol are both classical theorists who made contributions to the management theory. They both have viewpoints and aims of raising management standards in the industry in a period whereby there are a few publications and theories on management. Most of the managers today use their contributions they made to the administrative thinking in management. Both theorists have the same influencing factors such as social struggles, war, and the industrial revolution. This factor gave them a different perspective in developing their various management theories (Golden Pryor & Taneja, 2010, p, 40). The father of scientific management, Frederick Taylor, handles the development of the scientific principles of management. He pays his attention to an individual, rather than a team with an aim to improve efficiency. Taylor tries to achieve this by breaking each job down into its components, production-line time studies, and designing the quickest and the most reliable means of performing each element (Spender & Kijne, 2012, p, 101). When implementing his ideas, he looks at each worker individually on their background, intelligence and abilities. Henri Fayol on the other hand, emphasizes his attention on the total organization and not just an individual worker. Fayol divides the work executing management functions of organizing, planning, coordinating commanding, and controlling. In as much as both administrative management and scientific management are from the classical era, Taylor stresses his focus more on the individual than Fayol does (Wood and Wood, 2002). Henri Fayol is well known as the father of management due to his contribution to principles of management. For successful management, Fayol called for the implementation of the 14 principles. The 14 principles include the division of work, remuneration, scalar chain, unity of direction, stability of tenure, subordination of personal welfares and interests to the overall ones, unity of command, esprit de corps, discipline, initiative, authority, stability of tenure of the workforce, and order. He came up with the principles out of his observation as manager for a long period of time (Golden Pryor and Taneja, 2010, p.40) 14 Management Principles by Henri Fayol 1. With the division of work, Fayol argued that it leads to specialisation whereby the employee can gain experience that improves skill and enhance their productivity 2. Unity of command leads to smooth running of work and no conflict of authority as the employee only reports to one boss 3. Authority is the right to exercise command. This must be balanced for it to be effective 4. Remuneration, as argued by Fayol, is an important aspect in motivating the workforce after sound analysis of many possibilities have been done 5. Subordination of individual interest. Individual interest must come after the organisation’s interest. The organisation management must ensure goals and objective of the organisation must come first 6. Unity of direction. Fayol called for the organisation to ensure that people are engaging in the organisation objective, must work as a team. This ensures coordination and smooth running of activities 7. Equity. For organisation to succeed, Fayol calls for equal treatment of all the employees since they all work as a body 8. Centralisation or decentralisation. This depends on the organisation culture, quality of the personnel as well as the condition of the business 9. Stability of tenure. According to Fayol, the employees are able to perform their duties well if their job security is guaranteed and the progress in their career. A stable tenure limits the employees turnover 10. Scalar Chain. This is the hierarchy or the line of authority. Lateral communication is essential in the organisation but levels should exist. The number of levels should not be too much 11. Discipline. This is a two-sided obedience. The employees and the management must obey one another for smooth running to achieve success 12. Initiative. The organisation allow its employees to initiate as a way to strengthen the organisation 13. Order. Both social order and material are needed in the organisation. The social order is achieved through organisation and selection while material order is achieved through proper handling of materials and avoidance of time wasting 14. Esprit de Corps. This is the team spirit. The senior management must motivate the workforce. Fayol called for rewarding individual employees in a way that does not arouse jealousy or disturbance of harmonious relations Application of Frederick Taylor’s Management Theory in Organizations Today Taylor sought to overthrow the thumb rule management with the actual timed observations (Taylor, 2012). He advocated for a systematic training of workers rather than allowing a personal discretion in their duties. Taylor further believed that the workload would gradually be shared between the management and workers. Management would perform the instruction and science whereas the workers would perform the labor. Taylor’s Scientific Management is available within the modern day workplace. The computer manufacturing, hospitals, restaurants, and the car assembling plants are some of the work environments we go to everyday. They all function more efficiently due to the Scientific Management application. Their methods of working seem so logical and common that anyone in the modern world would find it hard to believe that they were revolutionary only in the last 100 years (Spender, & Kijne, 2012). The replacement of the simple habit and common sense with the adoption of scientific study in the handling of tasks exists in the modern workplace. Bruce (2006) states how management divides each job into individual tasks and gives what steps do not contribute to the end product. The scientific selection of workers of any organization should be on how to select, train and develop the most suitable people for each job scientifically but not leaving them to train themselves (Nair, 2006). The second principle of Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management theory can still be found in today’s world. In most organization, senior employees or managers handle recruiting the right individuals for each job and conducting their training (Bruce & Nyland, 2011). This ensures the proper conduction of the training. In majority a majority of organizations today, the job and workers processes are put in place and involvement of the managers’ supervision is required. This is to prevent bad work habits from the workers. The other principle of Taylor’s Scientific Management states the division of duties between the workers and the managers. The managers apply management principles in planning and supervising the work while the workers carry out tasks (Taylor, 2012). This theory is useful in most modern organization. It ensures an increase in production and helps ease some of the pressure from the workforce. Managers, however, are to stay involved in the daily processes of the organizations. Taylor advancement of the theory of motivation advocates the productivity improvements to improve pay. The workers’ numbers of items that they produced determined the pay made. This pay motivates the workers to work hard to maximize their productivity (Cole, 2004). This theory exists in the modern workplace especially for truck drivers and workers in factories. For instance in a sweet factor, employees would be paid according to the amount of sweet they rap over a set period. More efficient workers will earn more money. Inefficient worker will get motivation or encouragement to work harder (Taylor, 2012). According to Kanigel (2005), employers who pay workers more get more efficient better and happier workers who make quantity products. If employers employ more efficient workers in their organizations, profit margins are more likely to increase. Therefore, according to Taylor, employers can earn increased profit if the worker’s paychecks are high to keep them efficient and happy. Conclusion Taylor proposed four useful principles of management. First, he advocated for the need to develop a ‘science of work’ to outdo the old thumb rule method. Measures of work performance and output would determine the pay. Second, he places emphasis on selection and development. Thirdly, scientifically selected and trained people should to be brought together to achieve the best results. Finally, responsibility and work in the organization must be divided equally between management and workers. List of References Bruce, K. (2006). Henry S. Dennison, Elton Mayo, and Human Relations historiography. Management & Organizational History, 1(2), pp.177-199. Bruce, K. and Nyland, C. (2011). Elton Mayo and the Deification of Human Relations. Organization Studies, 32(3), pp.383-405. Cole, G. (2004). Management theory and practice. London: Thomson Learning, p.32. Golden Pryor, M. and Taneja, S. (2010). Henri Fayol, practitioner and theoretician – revered and reviled. Journal of Management History, 16(4), pp.489-503. Kanigel, R. (2005). The one best way. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT, p.19. Kozlowski, S. and Salas, E. (2011). Learning, training, and development in organizations. New York: Routledge. Miller, K. (2009). Organizational communication. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, p.169. Nair, A. (2006). Meta-analysis of the relationship between quality management practices and firm performance—implications for quality management theory development. Journal of Operations Management, 24(6), pp.948-975. Pride, W., Hughes, R. and Kapoor, J. (2014). Business. Mason, Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning, p.260. Schermerhorn, J. (2011). Exploring management. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, p.32. Spender, J. and Kijne, H. (2012). Scientific Management. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Springer US, p.101. Taylor, F. (2012). Principles of Scientific Management. Mineola: Dover Publications, p.11. Trahair, R. and Trahair, R. (2005). Elton Mayo. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, p.51. Wood, J. and Wood, M. (2002). F.W. Taylor. London: Routledge, p.67. Read More