Scientific Management

THE EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT For thousands of years, managers faced the same issues and problems confronting executives today. Around 1100 B.C., the Chinese practiced the four management functions—planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Between 400 B.C. and 350 B.C., the Greeks recognized management as a separate art and advocated a scientific approach to work. The Romans decentralized the management of their vast empire before the birth of Christ. During the Medieval Period, the Venetians standardized production through building warehouses and using an inventory system to monitor the contents. But throughout history, most managers operated strictly on a trial-and-error basis. Communication and transportation constraints hindered the growth of earlier businesses. Improvements in management techniques did not improve performance. However, the Industrial Revolution changed that. As companies grew and became more complex, minor improvements in management tactics produced impressive increases in production quantity and quality. The evolution of management thought is divided into two major sections: classical approaches and contemporary approaches. All the approaches attempted to explain the real issues that the managers are facing and provide them with tools to solve future problems. This lesson might be more appropriately called “The Revolutions of Management,” because it documents the wide swings in management approaches over the last 100 years. Out of the great variety of ideas about how to improve management, parts of each approach have survived and been incorporated into modern perspectives on management. Thus, the legacy of past efforts, triumphs, and failures has become our guide to future management practice.

CLASSICAL APPROACHES The classical period extended from the mid-19th century through the early 1950’s. The major approaches that emerged during the period were systematic management, scientific management, administrative management, human