Evolution of Management Thought

Evolution of Management Thought

• Classical Approach
• Behavioral Approach
• Quantitative Approach
• Modern Approaches to Management

INTRODUCTION

According to one school of thought, history has no relevance to the problems faced by managers today. Some are also of the opinion that management theory is too abstract to be of any practical use. However, both theory and history are indispensable tools for managing contemporary organizations.

Like most modern disciplines, contemporary management thought has its foundations in the history of management and the many significant contributions of theorists and practitioners. A theory is a conceptual framework for organizing knowledge that provides a blueprint for various courses of action. Hence, an awareness and understanding of important historical developments and theories propounded by early thinkers is important for today’s managers.

In this chapter, we first take a look at the early approaches to management. We then focus on four well-established schools of management thought (see Table):
(i) the classical approach; (ii) the behavioral approach; (iii) the quantitative approach and (iv) the modern approaches to management. Finally, some emerging approaches in management thought are discussed.

Major Classification of Management Approaches and their Contributors :-