The Importance of Management Theories (Critical Writing)
Introduction: Management Theories
Table of Contents
Managers play significant role to success of an organization. The competence of managers play considerable role in every section of an organization and determine its competitive advantage. In a typical modern organization, sales managers oversee sales, personnel managers ensure a productive workforce, while operations managers ensure that all operations work.In fact, most of development in the society can be associated with solid supply of managers. The main objective of managers is to lead an organization to achieve its objectives. All organizations have goals and purposes for which they are created and managers take the responsibility of bringing together and using all available resources to realize the goals (Griffin 2007). Successful managers are therefore those that help an organization to achieve its goals more effectively and efficiently.There are many management theories that try to explain the best way that managers can accomplish their roles. Sadly, however, there is perception that management theories and practice are irreconcilable. Some managers find various management theories as not applicable and choose to carry out their managerial roles in their own way. In this paper, I will try to show the relevance of management theories to managers in contemporary organizations.
Origin of Management Theory
Management theories are reasonably recent. The origin of management theories can be traced to industrial revolution of 1800s. As factories developed, it became imperative to organize and coordinate the large workforce involved in producing goods. Because of dire need to ensure factories operated efficiently and effectively, some individuals began to formulate ways to do so.The industrial revolution led to pre-classical management theories that tried to propose the best management practices for specific situations. The pre-classical contributions were followed later by other more developed schools of management theories such as classical, behavioral and quantitative. Classical school of management theories developed from individuals seeking solutions to various problems facing factories in 19th century.Classical management theorists tried to come up with the best way to increase productivity and solve various problems facing factories and that time. Two branches of classical management theories: scientific and administrative developed in quest for solutions. Classical scientific theories such as Taylor, Gantt and Gilbreth were interested with the best way to increase productivity and efficiency (Griffin 2007).
Administrative classical theorists such as Weber, Follett and Fayol, on the other hand, paid more attention to productivity of individuals. Classical management theories were interested more on increasing productivity but failed to address the needs of workers, this led to behavioral management theories.Unlike classical management theories, behavioral management theories paid more attention to the best way to influence employees’ behavior toward productivity. It focused on issue such as motivation and job satisfaction. Quantitative management theories on the other hand focus on application of scientific tools such as mathematics in making managerial decisions
The Importance of Management Theory
Every management theory is relevant to managers in one way or the other. All the management theories address some aspects of management and shed light into the best way to handle management (Heller 2006). It is many years since some of the management theories but they form important foundation to management decisions and practice.The world today is very much different from the world when classical management theories were developed. Advancement in knowledge and technology, and globalization make management aspects today to be different. However, the classical management theories form important base for managerial practice despite of various criticism against them. The situation during industrial revolution made close supervision, impersonal bureaucracy and focus on rules and regulation, to be necessary.When assessing classical theories, one should therefore consider the period and conditions on which they were developed. For instance, Taylor’s scientific management was developed when United States was moving from a state of civil war to industrialization. Taylor’s recommendation for every segment of an organization to be specified and management to be impersonal and neural can be understood in context of the time in which the theory was formulated (Taylor 1947).
When applying classical management theories in contemporary organizations, managers should consider the great difference in time frame but borrow important principles from the theories. For instance, a manager can benefit from the main object of classical management theories, ensuring an organization operates efficiently and effectively, to implement the best management practice in context of their organizations.Knowledge on management theories can broaden a manager’s competence in management. Most of the issues addressed by various management theories are relevant to modern organizations. Modern organizations need to maximize productivity, motivate its employee and be ready for change. Beginning with classical management theories, subsequent theories try to improve on existing theories or address issues not addressed in previous theories (Roth1994).For instance, while classical theories try to improve performance of an organization through supervision, training and compensation, human behavioral theories try to achieve the same by addressing issues such as job satisfaction (Grandy 2004). Trying to reconcile classical and human behavioral theories, McGregor proposed Theory X and Theory Y, which improves on latter theories (McGregor 1960). A manager can therefore pick important management concepts from the various management theories.
Managers can take advantage of well tested and upcoming management theories. The main reason as to why managers lose confidence on management theories is multiplicity of the theories and various criticisms to the theories. It is prudent to appreciate that management is more an art than science and there are many channels to good management.Management theories therefore try to suggest the best approach to management in a particular context. Managers must not reject a management theory just because it has been shown not to be accurate or applicable at a particular situation. In context of technological advancement and global environment, modern organizations have to adopt management practices that are consistent with their situations (Drach-Zahavy 2004).In context of modern organizations, a manager is not expected to implement some management theories developed in 19th century and early 20th century as they are. Instead, manager should borrow from various management theories to come up with the best approach. For instance, contingency management theory can be very applicable in context of highly changing and competitive environment today.
Conclusion of Management Theory
Management theories are very relevant to managers in modern organizations. The various management theories try to address various aspects of management from increasing productivity, motivating employees to effective managerial decisions making. Understanding the management theories helps a manager to be effective in management roles.Considering most of management theories were developed in difference context as in modern organizations, managers should only use the management theories as framework to come up with their management practice specific to their situations.
Reference List
Drach-Zahavy, A. 2004. The Proficiency Trap: How to Balance Enriched Job Designs and the Team’s Need for Support. Journal of Organizational Behavior Vol. 25, No. 8, pp. 979–997.
Grandy, A. 2004. Emotions at Work: Theory, Research and Applications for Management. Human Relations Vol. 57, No. 10, pp. 1351–1356.
Griffin, R. 2007. Fundamentals of Management. New York: Cengage Learning
