Not only managers but also subordinates are paid by directors or the owner of the company to get tasks done to achieve their goals. Limited time and wages usually lead to managers pass tasks to their subordinates (Carron, 2012).
- Recognise the three levels of management and list the functions of management.
A hierarchy describes the structure of the management of a business; it shows the number of different management levels from the highest of a company to the lowest rank. At the meantime, it shows which levels of management and employees should respect to whom. In general, management could be distributed into three levels, directors, managers, and general staff (Hall, et al, 2008). Directors are responsible for running the company in the interest of themselves of their shareholders. They are in overall charge of an organisation; they meet persons such as the Board of Directors to make major decisions when it is necessary. Managers focus on controlling or organising within the company. Usually, they make day-to-day decisions. General staff report to their certain superiors, depending on which department they belong to (Hall, et al, 2008). A French management theorist who had listed ‘planning, organising, commanding, co-ordinating, and controlling’ as functions of management in 1916 is Henri Fayol (Hall, et al, 2008).
- Outline the basic principles of scientific management, and enumerate Fayol’s general principles of management.
Frederick W. Taylor (1856-1917) set forth a theory of scientific management in his 1911 book The Principles of Scientific Management. He believed that -- money – is the only reason motivates people work for. Principles of scientific management were designed to reduce inefficiency of managers and workers (Hall, et al, 2008). Taylor’s methods are: (Marcousé, et al, 2008)
- Pick skilled workers, observe them at work, recording and timing the elements and sequences in their work.
- Divide the task into small component parts. In this condition, tasks can be finished quickly and repeatedly.
- Choose the quickest method and pick the most efficient workers, then teach them the chosen method and any change is forbidden.
- Note down accurately how the task should be done in future, and invent equipment specifically to accelerate tasks.
- Taylor created a pay scheme was called piece rate, in brief; it means no work no pay. He felt that workers who complete targets should be rewarded, but those who cannot achieve the productivity should be penalised.
Henri Fayol (1841-1925) defined a 14 ‘principles of management’ which is followed his emphasis ‘command and control’ strictly. They are: (Robinson, 2005)
- Division of work. It requires specialisation, repetition, leading to speed and accuracy.
- Authority and responsibility. Increasing judgement and morality at top levels are required in these conditions.
- Discipline, which means obedience, application and respect.
- Unity of command. It means only one senior-level manager can command orders to workers.
Besides these four points, the rest ten points are: fair but not excessive wages, unity of direction, centralisation, subordination of individual interests to the general good, and the scalar chain, equity, stability, order, initiative and sprite de corps (Robinson, 2005).
Nowadays, this method could be evident in every McDonald’s in the world. Chips are cooked at a certain degree for exactly minutes, and then a timer tells staff to take them out and slat them. In spite of every McDonald’s is a set of dedicated, purpose-built machines for producing ice-creams, toasting buns, cooking chips and much else. However, Taylor’s theory does work on car industry, army and some chain businesses, and workers could feel very much at home or at work ordering a McDonald’s hamburger.
Bibliography
Books:
Hall, D., Jones, R., Raffo, C., Anderton, A., Chambers, I. & Gary, D., (2008). Bussiness Studies. 4th Edition. Essex: Pearson Education.
Marcousé, I., Gillespie, A., Surridge, M., Brewer, M., Watson, N., Birchall, N. & Hammond, A., (2008). Business Studies for A-Level. 3rd Edition. London: Hodder Education.
Pettinger, R., (2007). Introduction to Management. 4th Edition. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Journals:
Robinson, D., (2005). Management theorists: thinkers for the 21st century? Training Journal. (1) p.32
Lecture Notes:
Carron, J., (2012). Introduction to Management. [Handouts] Leadership vs. Management, Management Module. Keele University, Walter Moberley Building, Room 18, 23rd January.
