Management History
HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT THOUGHT AND ITS LEGACY
FOR TODAY'S WORLD
by
J. David Hunger, Ph.D.
for
Management 370
College of Business
Iowa State University
(8/18/2005)
HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT THOUGHT AND ITS LEGACY FOR TODAY'S WORLD
But I'm coming to believe that all of us are ghosts .... It's not just what we inherit from our mothers or fathers. It's also the shadows of dead ideas and opinions and convictions. They're no longer alive, but they grip us all the same, and hold on to us against our will.
- Henrik Ibsen, Ghosts
Is there one best way to manage the activities of people in an organization? Many beginning managers (and even some experienced ones) look to books, consultants, and courses in management searching for "the answer" to problems as if managing could be reduced to a cookbook listing of "dos" and don'ts". Don't fall into that trap. If the history of management teaches us anything, it is that management practices must change to suit the particular situation facing the manager. The key to success is to be aware of the key variables in any management situation and to apply those concepts and techniques which are most likely to succeed. The following example at Hovey and Beard Company shows what can happen when managers fail to consider all the variables in a work situation in an attempt to increase productivity.
The Hovey and Beard Company manufactured wooden toys of various kinds: wooden animals, pull toys, and the like. One part of the manufacturing process involved people spraying paint on the partially assembled toys.
The toys were cut, sanded, and partially assembled in the wood room. Then they were dipped into shellac, following which they were painted. The toys were predominantly two-colored; a few were made in more than two colors. Each color required an additional trip through the paint room.
For a number of years, production of
FOR TODAY'S WORLD
by
J. David Hunger, Ph.D.
for
Management 370
College of Business
Iowa State University
(8/18/2005)
HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT THOUGHT AND ITS LEGACY FOR TODAY'S WORLD
But I'm coming to believe that all of us are ghosts .... It's not just what we inherit from our mothers or fathers. It's also the shadows of dead ideas and opinions and convictions. They're no longer alive, but they grip us all the same, and hold on to us against our will.
- Henrik Ibsen, Ghosts
Is there one best way to manage the activities of people in an organization? Many beginning managers (and even some experienced ones) look to books, consultants, and courses in management searching for "the answer" to problems as if managing could be reduced to a cookbook listing of "dos" and don'ts". Don't fall into that trap. If the history of management teaches us anything, it is that management practices must change to suit the particular situation facing the manager. The key to success is to be aware of the key variables in any management situation and to apply those concepts and techniques which are most likely to succeed. The following example at Hovey and Beard Company shows what can happen when managers fail to consider all the variables in a work situation in an attempt to increase productivity.
The Hovey and Beard Company manufactured wooden toys of various kinds: wooden animals, pull toys, and the like. One part of the manufacturing process involved people spraying paint on the partially assembled toys.
The toys were cut, sanded, and partially assembled in the wood room. Then they were dipped into shellac, following which they were painted. The toys were predominantly two-colored; a few were made in more than two colors. Each color required an additional trip through the paint room.
For a number of years, production of