Compare and Contrast Approaches to Management

Management over the years does not have a generally acceptable definition. The subject has received different views from authorities on management. Follet(1941) defines management as “getting things done through people”. Follet’s definition underpins the ultimate aim of all the management theories, processes, approaches and styles that have been developed over the years. That is, the achievement of goals through others. Most if not all managers are faced with the daily task of planning, making decisions, managing resources and personnel. The task is always very tall and therefore the need to achieve the set target from beginning to end with people.

Some of these theories put across over the years are administrative management, human relations management and scientific management.

This paper will discuss at length the praise and disgust of scientific management and the human relation management theories. Having defined what management in general is. The emphasis will be on how each school of thought gets the job done and how the work environments as well as employees are managed at the work place. The relevance of both schools of thought would be established with clear examples and at the end a conclusion and an opinion of the writers position on the two theories.

The principles and theories of scientific management have been around since the 1800s but the real breakthrough came in the early 20th century. Frederick Winslow Taylor made this breakthrough during the industrial revolution when he developed the main principles of scientific management. Wren (2005) reiterates that Taylor set out to resolve industrial issues with his ‘Time and Motion Study’ and the ‘Piece Rate System’. Due to the magnificent contributions made by Taylor to Scientific Management, the term “Taylorism” was coined. Taylor is regarded as by many management authorities and historians as the ‘‘Father of Scientific Management’’. Wrege and Greenwood (1991) as well as Wren (2005) have all...