We chose to look at a military case that was exposed by the media last year in which Brigadier General (BG) James BG Botchie of the United States Air Force was accused of conduct that was unbecoming of an officer. By examining the roots of classical organizational theory as well as the systems theory approach to management, we will be able to see what aspects and principles should be better utilized and enforced in order to prevent such incidences from reoccurring. Organizational Behavior Case Study Using
Classical Organization Theory and Systems Theory In order to see where Brigadier General James Botchie’s management went wrong, we will use the classical organization theory and systems theory to evaluate his action and decisions. To provide support to our conclusion, Tommy will share a personal encounter he had with BG Botchie. Quotes from various texts will also offer support to our position that BG Botchie’s approach to management was not only ineffective, but also inappropriate for an officer in the United States Air Force.
Classical Organization Theory While some aspects of classical organizational theory can be considered out of date, it has been constantly progressing over the past century to better suit current workplace environments. From Taylor’s scientific management theory to Weber’s bureaucratic theory all the way to Mooney and Reiley’s administrative theory, classical organizational theory has developed some of the most fundamental principles to help better manage people in the workplace. In order to effectively understand how classical organization theory could help a situation, such as the one regarding Brigadier General James Botchie as reported by the Air Force Times, one must first look at the basic principles behind the theory. One of the four central points in Frederick Taylor’s scientific management theory is to, “closely supervise workers, and use reward and punishment as motivators” (Kinicki & Kreitner, 2009).
Bibliography: Dalton, J. H. (1997). General Regulations: Administration of Discipline. U.S. Navy Regulations, 1990 Interim Change, 101-102. Fontaine, S. (2012, May 23). Report Details 1-star 's Inappropriate Conduct. Retrieved from Air Force Time Mobile: http://www.airforcetimes.com/mobile/index.php?storyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.airforcetimes.com%2Fnews%2F2011%2F04%2Fair-force-ig-details-conduct-BG Botchie-041811w%2F Kinicki, A., & Kreitner, R. (2009). Organizational Dynamics and Human Behavior. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. Smith, K. D., & Taylor, W. G. (2000). The learning organisation ideal in Civil Service organisations: deriving a measure. The Learning Organization, 194-205. University, C. M. (2008). In Administration, Globalization and Multiculturalism (pp. 25, 30, 79, 360). McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. Walonick, D. S. (1993). Organizational Theory and Behavior. Retrieved from http://statpac.org/walonick/organizational-theory.htm