2: Historical Review Flashcards
A system transforms
inputs to outputs.
An organization transforms resources into
additional resources.
Subsystems
Internal linkages in transformation process
Feedback
The influence that outputs have on inputs
Who developed Systems Theory?
David Easton (see diagram)
Open or adaptive systems
Humans modify behaviors to adapt to environment.
Public orgs are in a political environment
Frederick Taylor (1919)
Pioneer of managerial analysis (Scientific Management)
Scientific Management School was based on
systemic analysis of every little act performed by workers.
Scientific Management: Role of Management
Manage work processes:
- analyze it
- derive rules and guidelines
- find efficient way to perform tasks
Time motion studies
measure and analyze physical characteristics of workplace to find THE ONE BEST WAY.
The One Best Way is associated with which management theory?
scientific management
Theory that emphasizes pay as the primary reward for work
Scientific Management
Max Weber
Founder of organizational sociology–analysis of complex organizations
Bureaucracy
Movement toward legal and rational forms of authority absent tradition (monarchial power) or charisma
Bureaucratic authorities and obligations:
supervision
administration
rules
management
A structured bureaucracy has
precision, speed, clarity, consistency, reduction of costs
P 19
Administrative Management School, 1958 described the principles of administration as:
Planning Organizing Supervising Controlling Delegating authority
Luther Gulick, 1937
Division of work and coordination of work
POSDCRB
Administrative Management school
Planning Organizing Staffing Directing Coordinating Reporting Budgeting
Who is associated with the Scalar Principle?
James Mooney, 1930
Organization is like a scale with graduated steps in authority and responsibility.
Characteristics of Administrative Management School
Formal structure & hierarchy:
Specialized tasks, clear lines of authority, narrow span of control, unity of command.
Gulick and Mooney said that closed systems are
Consistent
rational
machinelike
Mary Parker Follett (1926)
Wrote about “the giving of orders”, participatory management. Is credited as an early contributor to feminist organization theory.
Hawthorne Studies
Conducted at Western Electric Company
Found that illumination and rest periods increased productivity
Where were the Hawthorne studies conducted?
Western Electric Company
What are criticisms of Hawthorne Studies?
Social influences and informal processes also influence productivity
White coat effect
Who wrote Functions of the Executive (1930)
Chester Bernard
How did Chester Bernard describe an organization?
System of coordinated activities or forces of two or more persons
Functions of the Executive (Bernard) focused on…
How leaders induce through Communication & Persuasion
Members participate in exchange for incentives: power, prestige, ideals, altruistic motives, participation
Who wrote Proverbs of Administration in 1946
Herbert Simon
Herbert Simon’s work focused on
Specialization Span of control Systematic examination Behavioral analysis Choices & decisions
Firms and individuals want to maximize profits while achieving personal gain. What economic theory describes this?
Equilibrium and rationality
Kurt Lewin used experimental social psychology to
analyze behavior, especially group behavior.
Kurt Lewin described quasi-stationary equilibrium as
To change people, change forces
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Physiological Safety Social Self-esteem Self-actualization
Who wrote about Theory X and Y?
Douglas McGregor
Theory X
employees are passive and resistant to change. You must direct, control and motivate them.
Theory Y
Employees are capable and self-directed. You can decentralize, enlarge jobs to motivate.
Chris Argyris (1957) wrote that there is inherent conflict between needs of an organization and…
needs of human personality.
Contingency Theory
Different forms of an org are effective under different conditions, including environment and org size.
Orgs will become as complex as their environments.
What was the dominant approach in organizational analysis in the 1960s and 1970s?
Contingency Theory
Institute that researched interrelationships between technical factors and external environment:
Tavistock Institute of Great Britain
Casual Texture of Organizational Environments discussed flux and uncertainty in
political, social, economic and tech environments.
Frederick Emery & Eric Trist (1965)
In Social Psychology of Organizations,
Katz & Kahn (1966) applied systems language to
inputs, throughputs, outputs and feedback.
The Management of Innovation (1961)
Burns & Stalker discussed mechanistic vs organic organizations.
Mechanistic perform better in stable environments with limited demands
What do uncertain, complex and changing environments lead to?
Highly differentiated internal structures
Subunits to deal with different demands
Lawrence & Lorsch (1967)
Charles Perrow (1973) wrote that routine tasks are
more predictable and easier to analyze.
In Organizations in Action (1967), James Thompson said that an organization’s members strive for
rationality and consistency. Orgs adapt to their environment.
Central theme in Organizational Theory
Organizations must adapt to environment, adopting flexible structures.
