The classical perspective of management

The classical perspective of management was first implemented in the late 1800s as a way to overcome the problems posed by the factory systems that had recently been implemented. These problems were organising chains of command, instructing employees what to do, as many of them did not speak English and also organising the workload to cope with increased workload. It is split into three different sections, Scientific Management, bureaucratic organizations and administrative principles.

Scientific management is the most effective in terms of productivity. The idea was first introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor; Taylor worked on the principle of following set procedure increased productivity. This technique was effective in producing results; this was combined with incentives for reaching the targets set, this also increased productivity to the desired level. The principle of rewarding employees with bonuses is a practise still used to this day, although within the modern workplace the rewards are mainly used within sales positions to encourage increased sales. The idea of having one set way to work efficiently is one that is also still used in today’s workplace. However the main drawback of this method is that because it focuses solely on one set way to work efficiently it does not take into account the fact that the people who are carrying out the work are all different. Their individual needs and wants are not taken into account and this can cause anger and unrest among employees. A situation in which the scientific management theory was applied was in the assembly line for the Ford Magneto in 1913. According to Management by Daft, R.L, Henry Ford replaced workers with machines for heavy lifting and moving, therefore increasing productivity. Also the cars were moved along from one employee to the next, this cut production time by half. The same principle was applied to total car assembly, increasing efficiency and reducing the amount of worker hours required to produce a certain type of car.

The bureaucratic organisations approach was introduced into the workplace in the late 1800s by German theorist Max Weber. It was brought into place to combat managers using company resources to fulfil their individual desires rather than company ones. Before this approach was introduced companies were run almost family-like, Weber wanted get rid of this management way as it prevents employees from seeing who they actually work for; the organisation. The main characteristics of the bureaucratic approach, as stated in Management 6th edition by Richard L Daft, are:

Labour is divided with clear definitions of authority and responsibility ...

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Labour is divided with clear definitions of authority and responsibility that are legitimised as official duties.
Positions are organised in a hierarchy of authority, with each position under the authority of a higher one.
All personnel are selected and promoted based on technical qualifications, which are assessed by examination or according to training and experience.
Administrative acts and decisions are recorded in writing. Recordkeeping provides organisational memory and continuity over time.
Management is separate from the ownership of the organisations.
Managers are subject to rules and procedure that will ensure reliable, predictable behaviour. Rules are impersonal and uniformly applied to all employees.

Sources:

Daft, Richard L, Management, 6th Edition,p41, p42, p43, p44

It was believed that invoking the above principles would lead to a more efficient and adaptable organisation. This approach to management was fairer to staff, it meant that staff were promoted due to ability rather than personal connections. In today’s organisations this principle is still used, people are promoted based on their performance in the workplace. This also encourages staff to work harder as they have an incentive.

Although from a managerial perspective the bureaucratic approach is seen to be effective, lower level staff find it frustrating. They can feel that it incorporates too many rules and regulations into their work and following procedures exactly can cause resentment as they can be time consuming. But in all cases staff are treated exactly the same, this rules out any discrimination between employees.

An example of the bureaucratic organisation being put into practise is United Parcel Service, a firm that specialises in the delivery of small packages. One of the main reasons why it has been successful is the concept of bureaucracy. The whole company is based upon rules and regulations, there are rules for every aspect of the company e.g. there are regulations with regards to the appearance of staff, to the cleanliness of the offices and there are also specific rules which managers must follow, and policy books are issued and expected to be used. There is a clear division of labour within U.P.S., each plant contains specialised workers e.g. drivers, loaders, clerks, washers, sorters and maintenance staff. Paperwork is the backbone of U.P.S. daily worksheets specify performance goals and work output. Weekly and monthly reports show the employees quotas and achievements.

Another subfield of the classical perspective of management is called the Administrative principles approach. This approach focuses solely on the total productivity of the whole organisation; the pioneers of this approach were Mary Parker Follett, Henry Fayol and Chester I. Barnard. The administrative principles have several principles which are still used in today’s organisations, these are as follows:

Unity of command – Each worker is accountable to one superior only.
Division of work – Managerial and technical work are open to specialisation to produce more and better work with the same amount of effort.
Unity of direction – activities that are similar are grouped under one manager.
Scalar chain – a chain of authority that extends from the top to the bottom of the organisation and should include every employee.

Originally there were 14 principles which Fayol felt could be applied in any organisational setting. Fayol also identified the five basic functions of management:

Planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling. The five functions are the basis of much of the approach to today’s management theory. Administrative principles served as a contrast to the scientific approach and are still used today as they are useful for modern managers dealing with the many changes in today’s global environment. This approach also introduced the ideas of empowerment, facilitating rather than controlling staff and allowing employees to act depending on the authority of the situation.

Sources: Daft Richard L., Management, 6th Edition p43, p44, p45

The classical perspective as a whole was a very influential as an approach to management. It established the skills and knowledge required to raise productivity and to allow fair and equal treatment of employees. As I have pointed out many of the original principles are still very much apparent in today’s workplace. The classical perspective is the foundations of all of today’s management approaches and helped greatly to shape the organisations we know today.

Word Count 1135

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