The Evolution of Management Thinking

The Evolution of Management Thinking

Classical Perspective

The study of management began in the early 19th and early 20th century with the classical perspective, which took a rational, scientific approach to management and sought to make organizations efficient operating machines. This perspective contains three subfields namely: Scientific management, bureaucratic organizations and administrative principles.

Scientific management as proposed by Frederick Winslow Taylor emphasizes on scientifically determined changes in management practices as the solution to improving labor productivity. Bureaucratic Organizations whose most concepts was introduced by Maxx Weber, emphasizes on management approach on an impersonal, rational basis through elements such as clearly defined authority and responsibility, formal record keeping and separation of management and ownership. On the other hand, the administrative principle subfield focuses on the total organization rather than the individual worker and describes the management functions of planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. Henri Fayol outlined 14 general principles of management was the major contributor to this approach.

Humanistic Perspective

This perspective emphasizes on the understanding of human needs and attitudes in the workplace. Mary Parker Follett, who addressed worker participation and empowerment, shared goals and facilitating rather than controlling employees, and Chester Bernard, contributor of the acceptance theory of authority, were the early advocates of a more humanistic approach to management.

Three primary subfields in this perspective are: the human relations movement, human resources perspective, and the behavioral sciences approach.

Human relations movement stresses the satisfaction of employees’ basic

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