“ARE TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO POWER AND CONTROL RELEVANT TO CONTEMPORARY MANAGEMENT” The Oxford dictionary defines management, as the process of dealing with or controlling things or people. Businesses have a set structure on how they operate, however, they did not just come up with it on the spot. Many of these structures were formulated in the past and now implement due to the fact that they work. This essay aims to explore how traditional approaches, in relation to power and control in businesses, are applicable to businesses in the current day and age. It talks about the responsibility of the manager to use their power to make sure that the objectives of the organisations can be met. It will talk about what power is and what types of …show more content…
He argued that managers should place emphasis on finding the best way to do a set task and then to implement it for everyone to follow. Essentially, this would mean that the manager would be in control of his human labour and has the necessary power to tell them what to do and how to do it. The philosophy was that if all staff followed one way, they could be more efficient, and thus be able to get more work done. If more work was done, then the set objectives could be achieved at a faster rate, which, In turn, could result in positive performance of the business. This relates to Fayol’s second principle which is that the manager has the right to use their power and authority to act in a way that ensures they are carrying out their own managerial responsibilities (Rodrigues 2011). Since power refers to the capacity of an individual to influence others, managers would have needed to devise ways on how to use their power to get things done. One potential way is for the manager to be highly regarded in the organisation, meaning they are one of the best managers in the organisation. French and Raven (1959) called this a form of expert power, where the individual has knowledge that is valued by the business. It is believed that these individuals could have a higher influence, on others, in the organisation than those with other forms of power (Podsakoff & Schriesheim 1985). However, this does not mean
There are many different definitions of management. The classical authors considered the management is a role that aims to achieve effective operation, make regulations, provide directions and control resources (Whetten and Cameron, 2002). However, the newer visions focus more on management as a communication job in order to finish the work (Williams, 2010). Daft (2011) adds the coordinating others to meet the new challenges becomes a crucial task for modern management. Passage with time, the requirement of
Expert Power – Obtaining compliance through one’s knowledge or information. Managers generally have this power since they tend to have information that their employees don’t.
Some theorists believe that ‘power is everywhere: not because it embraces everything, but because it comes from everywhere… power is not an institution, nor a structure, nor possession. It is the name we give to a complex strategic situation in a particular society. (Foucault, 1990: 93) This is because power is present in each individual and in every relationship. It is defined as the ability of a group to get another group to take some form of desired action, usually by consensual power and sometimes by force. (Holmes, Hughes &Julian, 2007) There have been a number of differing views on ‘power over’ the many years in which it has been studied. Theorist such as Anthony Gidden in his works on structuration theory attempts to integrate basic
Power has been addressed in academic literature in several ways but most commonly describing “power as the ability to control valued resources and administer rewards and
Weber believed that power occurred due to the presence of bureaucracy and on the other hand Foucault believed that power was present in every aspect of life. These two theorists evaluate power and dominance in different ways (Roth and Wittich, 1968). Both of them had different perspectives in looking at these aspects. This essay will evaluate the powers of both managers and workers and will also explain role of managers and elaborate on the roles of employees. Comparing the theories of Weber and Foucault would do the evaluation.
Management is a very complex field. Not only must managers pay attention to what is best for the organization, but they also have to do what is best for their customers. At the same time, the manager must satisfy the need of their employees. Henri Fayol developed fourteen principles of management in 1916 that organisations are recommended to apply to order to run properly. This paper will show how some of Fayols
While scientific development emphasised principles to improve worker effectiveness, another branch within the classical school arose, administrative management, with its main contributor being French industrialist Henri Fayol. He is regarded as the father of administrative management as he proposed fourteen principles of management intended to assist managers in determining what to do to manage an organisation more effectively (Rodrigues, 2001). Fayol’s ideas are still valid in today’s organisations and his definitions of management are widely used in this field of study. In his book General and Industrial Management, published in 1916, he defined management as “to manage is to forecast and plan, to organise, to command, to coordinate and to control” (Fayol, 1916). This definition yielded the now known functions of management. Fayol’s approach to management has several similarities with Taylor’s scientific management theory. Included in Fayol’s fourteen principles is the division of work, which outlined the need for workers to specialise in specific jobs (Rodrigues, 2001). This idea of work specialisation has been derived from Taylor’s principles of scientific management. Furthermore, the empowerment of managers, proper training of employees and the use of a reasonable rewards system were principles that originated
In today’s ever changing economy, society’s idea of management is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain with the continuous demands of the position. A successful manager must have a certain level of expertise and problem solving techniques to carry out the daily tasks required. Over the years, there have been various ideas on what management is, such as planning, organizing, leading and controlling.
According tot the Administrative Management Theory, management is the process of getting certain tasks completed through the use of people. In this theory developed by Henri Fayol, he believes that it was very important to have the use of a multiplied of people instead of just relying on one person alone. Henri Fayol is known today as the “Father of Modern Management”, his theory has shaped what is know today as the Administrative Model, which relies on Fayols fourteen principles of management. These principles have been a significant influence on modern management; they have helped early 20th century manager learn how to organize and interact with their employees in a productive way. Fayols principles of management were the ground work in which his theory was formed. He believed highly in the division of work throughout a project and within the project he believed that the task at hand had to be done with a certain level of discipline in order for the division of work to be able to run smoothly without error.
Early management theories adopted by such proponents as Henri Fayol, Mary Parker Follett and Max Weber are relevant in todays’ world. In this essay I am going to discuss about all three theorists and how their theories are still relevant for managers in the 21st century in meeting the challenges. In the classical approach to management there are three branches under it. They are, scientific management, administrative principles and bureaucratic organisation. Henry Fayol and Mary Parker Follett developed theories for administrative principles and Max Weber developed a theory for bureaucratic organisation (Schermerhorn et al. 2014, p.36). First we will be going through Henri Fayol and then Mary Parker Follett as they both made theories
The definition of ‘management’ is controversial and subject to much debate. There have been many contradictory views on what the term ‘management’ means and accordingly how one should correctly manage an organisation. These theories have been put forward by several highly regarded management scholars over time. By taking into account past knowledge and contemporary views on management, we are able to ‘’explore how thinking has changed through time’’. (Brooks, 2006). Moreover, businesses have, and can continue to be able to adapt these theories and put them into practice. Successfully applying correct management practices is especially vital in a global business environment which is becoming very competitive. ‘’Most management theories, even those that do not resonate comfortably with the prevailing mood, have attractive and valid elements to them.’’ (Robinson, 2005). For example, some of these theories can be seen flourishing in fast food chains like McDonalds.
By the time Henri Fayol had finished his theory, General Industrial Management, in 1916, which was based on his reminiscence as a successful turnaround of a major mining company from depths of failure; he set out to illustrate management as being a separate entity to other jobs within an organisation as he would say although “technical” and “commercial” “function” were “clearly defined”, “administrative” education was lacking. In his theory he introduced his five duties a manager had to follow to be called effective: plan, organise coordinate, command, and control and added to this fourteen principles he felt managers should use as reference to conduct the five duties. However Fayol was very much an idealist his theory was based on what a complete manager should be like and gave the view of managers taking control from behind a desk, yet critics, most influential being the academic Henry Mintzberg, who released his work in 1973, were more realists and saw a manager life as chaotic, involved and interactive, arguing what Fayol was portraying is not possible, and outdated.
Henri Fayol: Henri Fayol was administrative management’s most articulate spokesperson. A French industrialist, Fayol was unknown to U.S. managers and scholars until his most important work, General and Industrial Management, was translated into English in 1930. 16 Drawing on his own managerial experience, he attempted to systematize the practice of management to provide guidance and direction to other managers. Fayol also was the first to identify the specific managerial functions of planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. He believed that these functions accurately reflect the core of the management process. Most contemporary management books still use this framework, and practicing managers agree that these
Management is one of the most important human activities and has critical impact on life, growth, development or destruction of an organisation. In an organisation, managers with any rank or status should understand their basic duties i.e. maintaining a sustainable conductive environment where people can fulfil their commitments and objectives through collaborative approach. (Akhtar, 2011) A manager is responsible to achieve the business’s goals, visions and objectives by planning, organising, leading and controlling. Dubrin (1994) stated that in every organisation each member of staff must plan, organise, make decisions, and control the resources they need to accomplish the results expected
Expert power is the power that a manager expertise, knowledge and professional ability give them, particularly over those that need the knowledge or information.