A Journey Through Management Theories By Giving An Insight Into Classical,

Behavioral And Modern Theories

Many since the turn of the century have studied management theory. Although
examples of management practice can be traced back several thousand
years, the development of management as a field of knowledge is recent.
Much of the impetus for developing management theories and principals came
from the industrial revolution and factory growth in the early 1800s. With
factories became a widespread need to coordinate large numbers of people in
producing goods. Some individuals began to think about ways to run factories
more efficiently and effectively. Later known as pre-classical management
contributors, they focused on particular techniques to solve specific problems.
They were then followed by individuals who developed broader principles and
theories which formed the bases of the major viewpoints, or schools, of
management; classical, which emphasized finding ways to more efficiently
manage work and organizations; behavioral, which tried to understand factors
affecting human behavior in organizations; quantitative, which focused on
mathematics, statistics and information aids to supporting managerial decision
making and effectiveness and contemporary, which represents ,major
innovations in ways of management thinking. Several approaches contributed
to the development of these viewpoints in to what methods and theories
managers rely on and use today.
Classical management theory was introduced in the late 19th century. It
became widespread in the first half of the 20th century, as organizations tried
to address issues of industrial management, including specialization,
efficiency, higher quality, cost reduction and management-worker
relationships. While other management theories have evolved since then,
classical management approaches are still used today by many smallbusiness owners to build their companies and to succeed. One of the
advantages of the classical management structure is a clear organizational
hierarchy with three distinct management levels. Each management group
has its own objectives and responsibilities. The top management is usually the
board of directors or the chief executives who are responsible for the longterm goals of the organization. Middle management oversees the supervisors,
setting department goals according to the approved budget. At the lowest level
are the supervisors who oversee day-to-day activities, address employee
issues and provide employee training. The levels of leadership and
responsibilities are clear and well defined. While the three-level structure may
not be suitable for all small businesses, it can benefit those that are
expanding.

Classical approach to management ignored the human aspects of business

organizations. Hence the Behavioural management was introduced by the
later researchers called social scientists. This approach emphasize on human
psychology, motivation and leadership style instead of simple mechanical
efficiency. The main contributors to this approach are Maslow (1943), Mayo
(1933), and Douglas McGregor (1957). Their emphasis was as much on
employees satisfaction as on organizational effectiveness. Their primary
purpose was to optimize the output of human resources by taking into
consideration of human factor at work place. They emphasize on employees
motivation, interpersonal communication and leadership style. Mayo (1933)
discovered from Hawthorne experiments that the relationship between
supervisors, subordinates and peers had a stronger effect on productivity than
either economic benefits or the organizations physical environment.
Behavior management is an educational term used to cover the ways in which
teachers organize and control pupil behavior, movement and interaction so
that teaching and learning can occur most effectively. Alternatively, the term
behavior leadership is a contrasting principle to behavior management.
Behavior leadership endorses the principle of taking a proactive approach to
gain control of situations to create a pre-planned ideal scenario, whereas,
behavior management is a promoter of taking control of various situations by
reacting to situations as they arise.
Inspired by these various contributions, traditional management perspectives
are being transformed, and the long-held criteria for evaluating organizational
and managerial effectiveness are being reinvigorated. While the changes
have proved unsettling for many managers and organizations, 21st century
corporations are surely charting new grounds where familiar themes and
practices are being disrupted and remolded. Business discourse increasingly
revolves around intelligence, information and ideas and capitalizing on
brainpower and intellectual capital to add value and sustain competitiveness.
Management in the 21st century would be increasingly founded on the ability
to cope with constant change and not stability, organized around networks and
not hierarchies, built on shifting partnerships and alliances and not selfsufficiency, and constructed on technological advantage and not bricks and
mortar. New organizations are networks of intricately woven webs that are
based on virtual integration rather than vertical integration, interdependence
rather than independence, and mass customization rather than mass
production.

Organizations embracing the new management changes are restructuring

their internal processes and management approaches around rapidly
changing information and technology. This entails developing the creative
potential of the organization by fostering new ideas, harnessing people's
creativity and enthusiasm, tapping the innovative potential of employees, and
encouraging the proliferation of autonomy and entrepreneurship.