HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT
The Historical Foundations of Management
Introduction
Why should we study historical management theories? Why bother ourselves with work that was done hundreds of years ago? Surely, they must be outdated, especially when we consider how fast the pace of change is in our society today. But are these theories really outdated? We would emphatically respond with a "no!" There is no doubt that foundational management theories provide insight into the challenges of their time, but they also bear much relevance to the way management is practiced today and how organizations are run. The major approaches − the classical, behavioral, and modern management schools − along with sub-themes under each of these categories will be examined. These approaches are presented chronologically.
Classical Approaches to Management
The classical approach represents one of the earliest studies of management. There are two major schools of thought that will be examined under the classical approach: scientific management, and bureaucracy. The classical theorists bore a common assumption: people are rational, and they theorized based upon that premise.
Scientific Management Theory
In a bid to rid employees of inefficiencies and underperformance, Frederick Taylor undertook what is known as "me study" -- a process of studying the tasks and motions that occurred as employees did their jobs. He concluded that there is a "best way" to do a job in his popularized publication, "The Principles of Scientific Management,", and hence, has come to be known as the "Father of Scientific management." According to Schermerhorn (2010, p.35), Taylor 's approach includes four principles:
1. Develop rules of motion, standardized work implements, and proper working conditions for every job.
2. Carefully select workers with the right abilities for the job.
3. Carefully train workers and provide proper incentives.
4. Support workers by carefully planning their work and
Introduction
Why should we study historical management theories? Why bother ourselves with work that was done hundreds of years ago? Surely, they must be outdated, especially when we consider how fast the pace of change is in our society today. But are these theories really outdated? We would emphatically respond with a "no!" There is no doubt that foundational management theories provide insight into the challenges of their time, but they also bear much relevance to the way management is practiced today and how organizations are run. The major approaches − the classical, behavioral, and modern management schools − along with sub-themes under each of these categories will be examined. These approaches are presented chronologically.
Classical Approaches to Management
The classical approach represents one of the earliest studies of management. There are two major schools of thought that will be examined under the classical approach: scientific management, and bureaucracy. The classical theorists bore a common assumption: people are rational, and they theorized based upon that premise.
Scientific Management Theory
In a bid to rid employees of inefficiencies and underperformance, Frederick Taylor undertook what is known as "me study" -- a process of studying the tasks and motions that occurred as employees did their jobs. He concluded that there is a "best way" to do a job in his popularized publication, "The Principles of Scientific Management,", and hence, has come to be known as the "Father of Scientific management." According to Schermerhorn (2010, p.35), Taylor 's approach includes four principles:
1. Develop rules of motion, standardized work implements, and proper working conditions for every job.
2. Carefully select workers with the right abilities for the job.
3. Carefully train workers and provide proper incentives.
4. Support workers by carefully planning their work and
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