Evolution of Management Theory free essay sample

This paper presents the context  of  production  management evolution  and assesses the application  of  some heuristic production approaches within construction sites  of  Brazil and England. The study revealed that, although the production  management theory  evolved significantly, construction practices do not apply the  theory  in a systemic and comprehensive manner. Clearly, lack  of motivation and poor instruments for enabling learning are the central cause  of  this problem. According to McFarland (1979) the word manage seems to have come into English usage directly from the Italian word maneggiare, that means to handle. This word, in turn, traces back to the Latin word manus (hand). In the early sixteenth century the word manage was quickly extended into the common language  of  war situations and used in the general sense  of  taking control, taking charge, or directing. Management is the fundamental integrating processes used to achieve organised, purposeful results. This dynamic flow between practice and  theory, and vice versa, is also one  of  the key virtues  of  disciplines relating to production  management. We will write a custom essay sample on Evolution of Management Theory or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Academics and consultants are continually developing new ways for solving production problems and marketing these solutions to practitioners. Occasionally, these solutions are transformed into books. In other situations, the active experimentation  of  practitioners leads to new ideas and insights that are themselves gradually transformed into  theories. These  theories, in turn, help the communication  of  their solutions to other practitioners facing similar problems. Key Contributions: Taylor and Gilbreth: Frederick W. Taylor is acknowledged as the father  of  scientific  management, because  of  his famous work entitled Principles  of  Scientific  Management  (1911). * Efficient use of time. * Tried to discover the relationship between the horsepower that a man exerts and the correspondent tiring effect that this work has on man. * Controlling factor: Amount of work a worker could do was the percentage  of  time that the worker was under load or resting, and the length and frequency  of  resting periods. Frank Bunker Gilbreth was already managing a construction company in the twentieth century. study  of  needless, ill-directed and ineffective motions of bricklayers in construction processes. * Analysed and reduced the number of motions from 18 to 5. * Doubled productivity without increasing the effort. Hawthorne: A turning point in the  theories of management  came with the study carried out by Western Electric managers and Harvard University researchers at the H awthorne works, near Chicago, from 1924 until 1932. Originally, this study sought to confirm Taylors principle that more lighting in the workplace would result in greater productivity. However, to the amazement  of  the researchers, the experiment showed productivity rising still further, even with a decrease in illumination. The investigation then turned its attention to the relationship between managers and workers, still aiming for the manipulation  of  workers to maximise the output  ofproduction (Mayo, 1949; Barnes, 1980, p. 283; Wren, 1994; Weihrich and Koontz, 1993). After a number  of  experiments, they finally concluded that the improvements in productivity happened almost solely due to social factors, such as moral and satisfactory inter-relationships within the production team. The study also showed that just the fact  of  being chosen for the study motivated workers to continually improve production, regardless  of  the working environment (Mayo, 1949; Wren, 1994; Weihrich and Koontz, 1993; Lee and Schniederjans, 1994). Courtesy: Proquest Just In Time Theory: A production strategy that increases productivity and ROI by reducing process inventory and associated carrying costs. The process relies on signals between different points in the process, which tell production when to make the next part. They can be simple visual signals. JIT focuses on continuous improvement and can improve ROI, quality and efficiency. To achieve this, the key areas of focus could be flow, emp. Involvement and quality. Courtesy: Wikipedia Adam Smith: Smith concluded that division of labor increased productivity by increasing each workers skill and dexterity, by saving time that is usually lost in changing tasks, and by the creation of labor- saving inventions and machinery. Probably, the most important influence on management was the Industrial Revolution. It began in the late eighteenth century in Great Britain, where machine power was being substituted for human power. Courtesy: Yahoo Answers. Max Weber: Characteristics of Bureaucracy Forms of Authority 1. Rulification amp; routinization effort-saving rules and equal treatment 2. Specific spheres of competence clear division of labor, specialization 3. The principle of hierarchy leave no office uncontrolled 4. Expertise of office holders managers to have technical training 5. Written record-keeping everything to be recorded amp; filed, red tape. Courtesy: Answers. yahoo. com According to Max Weber, there are three types of power in an organisation:- Traditional Power – Readily accepted. Unquestioned as it comes from deeply set customs and tradition. Charismatic Power – Gained by those who have gained the respect and trust of their followers. Bureaucratic Power Or Legal Power – Stems from the setup of an organisation and the position held by the person in authority excised within stipulated rules and regulations of an organization. The characteristics or features of Bureaucratic Organisation are as follows :- There is a high degree of Division of Labour and Specialisation. There is a well defined Hierarchy of Authority. It follows the principle of Rationality, Objectively and Consistency. There are Formal and Impersonal relations among the member of the organisation. Interpersonal relations are based on positions and not on personalities. There are well defined Rules and Regulations. There rules cover all the duties and rights of the employees. These rules must be strictly followed. There are well defined Methods for all types of work. Selection and Promotion is based on Technical qualifications. Only Bureaucratic or legal power is given importance. Bureaucratic organisation is criticised because of the following reasons :- Too much emphasis on rules and regulations. The rules and regulations are rigid and inflexible. No importance is given to informal groups. Nowadays, informal groups play an important role in all business organisations. Bureaucracy involves a lot of paper work. This results in lot of wastage of time, effort and money. There will be unnecessary delay in decision-making due to formalities and rules. Bureaucratic model may be suitable for government organisations. But it is not suitable for business organisations because business organisations believe in quick decision making and flexibility in procedures. Too much importance is given to the technical qualifications of the employees for promotion and transfers. Dedication and commitment of the employee is not considered. There is difficulty in coordination and communication. There is limited scope for Human Resource (HR).