Perspectives and approaches to management theory Essay

1. Why is it important to understand the different perspectives and approaches to management theory that have evolved throughout the history of organizations? Management is constantly changing. It changes over time to meet new needs. if we know what happened in the past (WHAT WORK/ WHAT DIDN’T) WE WILL be able to understand the present and plan for the future. Some ideas from the past (stock ownership, open book management) are still relevant to management today. it is also important for us to understand the evolution of management because it allows us to learn from the mistakes made by others, so as not to repeat them and use the success in order to use them at the appropriate time. 2. How do societal forces influence the practice and theory of management? Do you think new management techniques are a response to these forces? Social forces deal with the society. The people in the society their beliefs, culture and needs. so new management techniques are a response to these factors because management is always evolving to meet new needs of society. 3. Based on your experience at work or school, de-scribe some ways in which the principles of scientific management and bureaucracy are still used in organizations. Do you believe these characteristics will ever cease to be a part of organizational life? Discuss. Scientific management and bureaucracy are still use in organization today, for example we are still operating in a bureaucratic way when it comes to the education sector in Belize. There is the main boss and we always look up our bosses they are the single authority figure. In system work is assign and authority is clearly defined. 4. A management professor once said that for successful management, studying the present was most important, studying the past was next, and studying the future was least important. Do you agree? Why? Yes I agree to this statement because if we know what has occurred in the past, what work well and what didn’t we will be able to learn from the mistake made by others and use there success as a spring board to our success. The future is most important because it is the situation were in now, if we know what work we will be able to make wise discussion in the present and plan smartly for the future. 5. Which of the three characteristics of learning organizations do you find most appealing? As a manager, which would be hardest for you to adopt? Why? The characteristic that I find most appealing is the team based, I find it appealing because it deals with team work employee work hand in hand to get the task done. As a manager I would find the employee empowerment most difficult bec ause here it unleashing the power and creativity of employees by giving them the freedom, resources, information, and skills to make decisions and perform effectively do believe that it could at times become coatic and would bring about many conflicts. 6. As organizations become more technology-driven, which do you think will become more important—the management of the human element of the organization or the management of technology? Discuss. I believe that the management of technology is more important because in the world around technology is advancing day by day and we need to keep up with it. Technology helps in some many ways it makes life easier and speeds up work as a result allowing you to meet organizational goals quicker 7. Why do you think Mary Parker Follet’s ideas tended to be popular with business people of her day, but were ignored by management scholars? Why are her ideas appreciated more today? In the days of Mary Follet management was done the old way, where there were strict rules and procedures. A task was given to you and you were to get it done without asking questions or saying anything. Now Mary Follet view that workers should analyse there job for improvement because they are the one that wil l do the job so they should know the best way to improve the job. This is now heading towards modern management that while her ideas are wide appreciated today. 8. Explain the basic idea underlying the contingency view. How would you go about identifying the key contingencies facing an organization? The basic idea underlying the contingency view is that there is no one set way to organize. Managers should analzie there situations well because what work for someone else may not work for them. They need to identify patterns and characteristics and find a stable solution 9. Why can an event such as the Hawthorne studies be a major turning point in the history of management even if the idea is later shown to be in error? Discuss. The Hawthorne studies can be a major turning point in history of management because i believe this is where the shift towards mother management began. The focus was now on the individual It was discovered that employees behaved differently because they were treated differently. The strict manager was not there but a motivating one instead so the employees perform better. 10. Identify the major components of systems theory. Is this perspective primarily internal or external to the organization? Explain. The system theory composes of five components Inputs Transformation Process Outputs Feedback Environment. it take input such as resources and finance from the external environment turns it into output product or service through the transformation process and the gives feedback. 11. Do you think management theory will ever be as precise as theories in the fields of finance, accounting, or experimental psychology? Why or why not? Management theories will never be precise. We live in an ever changing world and managers are force to keep up with it so there are times that they will need to adapt ne strategies to fit their situation. People are always finding new ways to do things and no one way is best so i believe that it would be an on-going process. 12. To what degree do you think that effective control comes from within the individual worker, or do workers need rules, rewards, and punishments to perform effectively? Explain your reasoning I believe that we should start adapting new management where team work is key. Rules, rewards and punishment are part of old management. i believe effective control comes from within an individual because if your happy with what you do you will do it to the best of your ability. On the other hand is you’re in a bureaucratic system you will just get the job done because you need to.