Chapter 4 - Historical Foundations of Management: Macquarie University
Chapter 4 - Historical Foundations of Management: Macquarie University
Chapter 4 - Historical Foundations of Management: Macquarie University
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MEASUREMENT STAGE
Taylor was convinced that there was an ideal way to perform each separate work task, and he attempted to define those optimal procedures through systematic study. "science of shoveling" refers to his observations and experiments on the best way for workers to perform this manual task during the manufacture of pig ron. Taylor experimented with different shovel sizes and designs to find the one that was most comfortable. He varied the size of the load scooped up onto the shovel to find the least fatiguing amount. He experimented with different combinations of work time and rest intervals in an attempt to improve the worker recovery rate. Ranges of physical motion on the pan of the workers were also examined. Based upon Taylor's suggestions, Midvale was able to reduce the number of workers needed from 600 to 140, while at the same time more than tripling the average daily worker output.
Taylors scientific management contributions went well beyond determining the best way of performing a task. He also maintained rather strong convictions about supervision and motivation In the area of supervision, Taylor felt that a single supervisor could not be an expert at all tasks. This was because most supervisors were promoted to their positions after demonstrating high levels of skill in performing a particular function within the organization. Consequently, each first-level supervisor should be responsible only for workers who perform a common function familiar to the supervisor, such as machine operator, material handler, or inspector. Each supervisor's area of expertise would become an area of authority. Since in Taylor's era these supervisors were referred to as foremen, Taylor called this concept functional foremanship. Several foremen would be assigned to each work area, with each having a separate responsbility for such duties as planning, production scheduling, time and motion studies, material handling, and so forth. In the area of motivation, Taylor felt that money was the way to motivate workers to their fullest capabilities. He advocated a piecework system, in which workers' pay was tied to their output. Workers who met a standard level of production were paid at a standard wage cite. Workers whose production exceeded the standard were paid at a higher rate for all of their production output. Taylor felt that such financial incentives would induce workers to produce more so that they might earn more money. He also felt that management should use financial incentives judiciously. If the increased employee earnings were not accompanied by higher profits generated by the productivity increases, then the incentives should not be used.
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Fayol believed that management could be taught. He set forth a number of principles to guide managers doing managerial functions:
The scalar chain principle (there should be a clear and unbroken line of communication from the top to the bottom in the organisation), The unity of command principle (each person should receive orders from only one boss) The unity of direction principle (one person should be in charge of all activities that have the same performance objective).
Some of Fayol's classical theories and principles may not seem compatible with contemporary management.
For example, his principle of centralization of power and authority at upper levels of the organization is contrary to the contemporary management view of allowing front line workers more autonomy and authority for making and carrying out decisions. Furthermore, contemporary managers rarely demand that the goals of the overall organization take precedence over the interests of individual employees. Contemporary management thinking views employees as a valuable resource whose interests must be considered. Therefore, considerable importance is placed on satisfying the wants, needs, and desires of individual workers. Despite the apparent incompatibility between some of Fayol's principles and the philosophies of contemporary management, several of his principles continue to be embraced by today's managers. His managerial functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling are closely resemble the four functions of management that we talk about today. In addition, Fayol's principles on subordinate initiative, harmony, and team spirit are particularly applicable to the modern trend toward encouraging creativity and teamwork in the workplace.
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BUREAUCRACY AND BUREAUCRAT ARE NOW OFTEN USED WITH NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS.
An inflexible and unyielding imposition of the rules and regulations causes possible disadvantages of bureaucracy:
Excessive paperwork or red tape -> Slowness in handling problems When General Motors wanted to construct a truck assembly plant in Egypt, the proposal had to pass through many ministries and required a multitude of signatures to gain approval, As a result of this sea of red tape, more than three years elapsed before final approval was granted. Rigidity in the face of rapidly changing customer needs Resistance to change and employee apathy (organization operates base on the formal rules, structure, and written records in the past)
These disadvantages are most likely to cause problems for oraganizations that must be flexible and quick in adapting to changing circumstances. We noted that future managers will typically display a greater reliance on work teams that are empowered to use their creativity, self-motivation, and initiative to make decisions and solve problems as they work toward achieving the organization's goals.
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During the first few decades of the twentieth century, the industrialized nations of the world were experiencing many social and cultural changes:
Standards of living were rising, working conditions were improving. the length of the average work week was declining. the formation of powerful labor unions =>workers able to influence managerial decisions. managers were increasingly finding that workers did not always exhibit behaviors that were consistent with what classical theorists had called rational behavior. Managers were being presented with more and more evidence that human behavior has a significant impact upon the actions of workers. =>Observations and evidence such as this gave rise to the behavioral perspective of management, which recognizes the importance of human behavior patterns in shaping managerial style. The next sections describe the observation and research findings of several of the major contributors to this behavioral perspective
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People at work are assumed to seek satisfying social relationships, respond to group pressures and search for personal fulfilment.
HAWTHORNE STUDIES
In 1924, the Western Electric Company commissioned a research program to study individual productivity at its Hawthorne Works in Chicago. The Hawthorne Studies had a scientific management perspective and sought to determine how economic incentives and physical conditions of the workplace affected the output of workers. One of these experiments was designed to demonstrate that increased levels of lighting could improve productivity. Test groups and control groups were formed. The test group was subjected to a variety of lighting conditions while the control group operated under constant lighting conditions. The results demonstrated that when illumination levels were increased, the productivity of the test group improved, as was expected. The experimenters were surprised, however, to find a similar increase in productivity when the test group's level of illumination was dramatically decreased. Equally puzzling was the fact that the control group's productivity also increased, even though its lighting conditions remained constant. After falling to find relationship, the researchers concluded that unforeseen psychological factors somehow interfere with their illumination experiments.
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Groups can have strong positive, as well as negative influences on individual productivity. People would restrict their output in order to avoid the displeasure of the group, even if it meant sacrificing pay that could otherwise earn by increasing output.
His study of human needs is key foundation for the human relations movements. Needs are physiological and psychological deficiencies which a person feels the compulsion to satisfy. Needs create tensions that can influence a persons work attitudes and behaviors.
ESTEEM AND SELF-ESTEEM NEEDS ARE UNIVERSAL. Everyone prefers to feel important, needed, useful, successful, proud, respected, rather than unimportant, interchangeable, autonomous, wasted, unused, expendable, disrespected.
quantitative decision-making tools that are common used in the above process:
Mathematical forecasting: Helps make future projections that are useful in the planning process. Inventory modelling Helps control the inventories by mathematically establishing how much to order and when. Linear programming Used to calculate how best to allocate scare resources among competing uses. Queuing theory Helps allocate service personnel or workstations to minimize customer waiting time and service cost. Network models Break large tasks into smaller components to allow for better analysis, planning and control of complex projects. Simulation Makes model of problem, so that different solutions under various assumptions can be tested.
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Systems thinking
Systems thinking:
Contingency thinking
Contingency thinking Tries to match managerial responses with the problems and opportunities specific to different settings, particularly those posed by individual and environmental differences. Recognises that what is a good structure for one organisation may not work well for another, and what works well at one time may not work as well in the future as circumstances change.
Global awareness
Much of the pressure for performance excellence is created by a competitive global economy. Theory Z describes a management framework emphasising: long-term employment slower promotions and lateral job movements attention to career development use of consensus decision making emphasis on use of teamwork and employee involvement.
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Learning organisations
A learning organisation continuously changes and improves using the lessons of experience. Require a value-driven organisational culture. The 21st century manager must be: A global strategist A master of technology An effective politician An inspiring leader.