Management History Flashcards
productivity is a
measure of efficiency
historical management
- egyptian pyramids - contruction mgmt
- Adam Smith - The Wealth of Nations and division of labour/job specialisation
- industrial revolution - became more economical to manufacture in factories than at home and formal mgmt was needed
4 approaches to mgmt theory
classical, behavioural, quantitative, contemporary
classical approach
first studies of mgmt that highlight rationality and making work as efficient as possible
comprises scientific management (Taylor, Gilberth) and general administrative theory (Fayol, Weber)
scientific mgmt
using scientific methods to find the ONE BEST WAY to do a job, which include:
- develop a science for each element of an individual’s work to replace ‘rule of thumb’
- select then train, teach and develop workers
- cooperate with workers to ensure all work is completed according to developed science
- divide work and responsibility almost equally between mgmt and workers depending on what work each is best suited to
how today’s managers use scientific mgmt
- analyse work tasks
- eliminate wasted motions using time-and-motion studies (Gilbreths)
- hire the best-qualified workers
- design incentive systems based on output
gen admin theory
focused more on what MANAGERS do - establishing the best mgmt practices
Fayol, Weber
fayol’s 14 principles of mgmt
while taylor was focused on first-line mgmt, fayol focused on the activities of ALL managers and developed 14 principles that could be applied to all orgs
- division of labour
- authority
- discipline
- unity of command
- unity of direction
- subordination of individual interests to the general interest
- remuneration
- centralisation
- scalar chain
- order
- equity
- stablity of tenure of perosnnel
- initiative
- esprit de corps
Weber’s bureaucracy
Weber’s idea of an ideal organisation characterised by:
- divison of labour
- clear hierarchy
- detailed rules and reg
- impersonal relationships
how today’s managers use gen admin theory
- functional view of a mgrs job - Fayol
- his 14 principles are the basis of many current mgmt principles
- Weber - less practical than taylor or fayol but all orgs utilise elements of bureaucracy to ensure resources are used efficiently and effectively, even highly flexible ones like Apple and Google
Behavioural approach
people are the most important asset of the organisation and should be managed as such
dramatically affected by the Hawthorne Studies - productivity experiments at Western Electric
4 phases of Hawthorne studies
- 4 phases: illumination, relay assembly rooms, interview phase, bank wiring observation room
describe the illumination experiment
- wanted to see effects of different light levels on worker productivity
- no significant correlation was found between productivity and light levels
- prompted further research to see what affected worker output
describe the relay assembly room experiment
- observe impact of other factors like length of working day, rest hours and other physical factors
- small homogeneous group of six women was used who were friendly with each other and asked to work in an informal atmosphere under the supervision of a researcher
- extra pay based on others in group; longer rests, fewer but more frequent rests, food was served, shorter work day and week –> all increased productivity, reduced absenteeism and less supervision was needed
- sense of belongingness, self-discipline and sincerity increases
describe the interview phase
21k employees interviewed over 3 years to ID reasons for higher productivity
found that prod can be increased if workers are allowed to talk freely about matters important to them
- initially, a direct approach was used where interviewers asked questions considered important by managers and workmen replies were guarded
- when replaced by an indirect technique where inteviewer simply listened to workmen, replies were more relaxed
- confirmed the importance of social factors at work to higher morale and productivity
