Management Theories and Philosophies: Evaluate the Influence of Classical and Human Relations Approaches in Management Today

Management Theories and Philosophies: evaluate the influence of classical and human relations approaches in Management Today

Management

Management can simply be explained as getting thing to work through organization and coordination. The ability to achieve an objective through planning, leading and organization. In the same light organization management is the leading of a business through effective and advantageous decision making.

Many scholars have researched the theories of management including the more contemporary theories of management among which are Fredrick W. Taylor and Lillian Gilbreth. Their study on the Scientific Management proposed that the fact that making people work as hard as they could was not as efficient as optimizing the way the work was done. (1909)

Their research basically pushed forward the concept of increasing productivity by making jobs simpler, with more enhanced and optimized ways for worked to be effective.

There was also the theory by Henri Fayol’s whose view on Administrative Management which led to the 14 of management including, Division of work, Unity of command and unity of direction.

Max Weber’s idea of Bureaucratic Management stated two fundamental facts, organizations were better off when organized in a hierarchy and rules when clearly laid out and defined helped the governing of an organization and its people.

The Theory of Management

 James A.F. Stoner defined Management as “the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the effect of organisations members and of using other organizational resources to achieve stated organizational goals”. As stated above management is basically coordinating people to achieve a set objective.

 Management Objectives and Functions

Management Objectives

Organizational management in an organization has many goals among which are-

• Achieving KPI- These are the targets and goals set by the company with the expectation of reaching and exceeding tem with minimum resources and maximum profit
• Wellbeing of their staff- Contemporary organizations have embraced the need to provide security and support to their employees and in some cases their families
• Management of the human, business and technical resources of the organization

There are five basic functions of management in an organization, they are-

• Planning: this ensures that the business is run in a planned and organized manner
• Organizing: the day to day structure and overall organization of a company or business
• Staffing: this encompasses the recruitment, appraisals, benefits and all other details involving staff and staffing
• Leading: directing people and keeping the vision in focus so as to achieve the goal.
• Controlling: the guiding of everyone in the organization while monitoring output and achievements

Classical Management Approach

Classical Management Scholars which was purported by Frederick Taylor in the 1900’s stated that focus was to be placed on ways to improve work and workers’ productivity.

This approach supported the below-

1. Standards for each job and role were to be defined by the organizations management
2. Staff were employed for specific roles based on their skills and abilities.
3. Tasks and KPI’s were to be planned and defined so as to eliminate ambiguity
4. Salaries, incentives and benefits are offered in a bid to spur increased productivity

The classical management approach can further be broken down into

• Scientific Management
• Administrative Management
• Bureaucratic Management

Scientific Management
while criticized for having an assembly line feel, the scientific management approach mainly aims at enabling working by providing any and all things required to increase efficiency and productivity. Ie the tools to increase output.

Fredrick Taylor who is credited for this theory saw it as a basic way by which organizations could increase their productivity and output.

 The criticisms that surrounded his approach implied that it could only be used in menial or low-level jobs, hence the assembly line feel. Taylor discouraged the constant changes usually found in organizations and strongly advocated for the norms and cultures of the company to remain. His theory emphasized managements setting down the rules and committing to them in an overall bid to increase or maximize efficiency.

The Scientific Management Principles include

• Eliminating guesswork and ambiguities  with scientific way and method to achieving deliverables
• Using skills and abilities to select, Train and empower employees to achieve their task and the organizations overall goal
• Using and committing to scientifically developed  ways of improving output
• Managers and all staff are committed to using the scientific set ot methods in carrying out daily activities.

The disadvantages of this method however are various. Though the use on non-ambiguous scientific methods majorly helped and increased improved productivity thereby increase productivity and profitability, the ideas still had its cons.

The repetitive, assembly line style made it easy to apply in only small organizations rather than multinational companies where various people were entrusted with various tasks

It is was more individual focused rather than team focused

• It created an unfair and unequal divide stating competent and incompetent individuals
• It is reduced innovation and creativity among staff and focused on productivity
• It didn’t focus on developing human capital which could also be a way to increase output an productivity

Administrative Management

Administrative management theory focuses on finding and creating logical ways to structure and run a company as a whole. The theory as the name implies seeks to use a more formal and traditional administrative structure, where tasks and job descriptions are clearly stated and powers and authorities are defined and given to the respective leaders who are aware of the company’s vision and in line to follow it.

This theory is a part of the classical management theory developed by a French Industrialist Henri Fayol one of the most influential management thinkers.