Various approaches to management are implemented by organizations to increase productivity and service quality. In the modern organization environment, managers use a mix of theories in the in worker management. The types of theories used depend on the workplace, purpose, and workforce. Therefore, the nature of the workplace, the activity involved and the characteristics of the workforce determine the relevant management approach that will effectively generate the desired results. For instance, managers in an accounting firm may want to utilize a management approach that includes participation while a leader in the army may want to use autocratic approach.
Management Approach in My Organization
The approach used in my organization is a modern approach to management that was proposed by Biologist Ludwig. In this approach, the organization is viewed as a large system consisting of several subsystems. Therefore, the managers recognize how different systems affect the worker and how a worker affects the systems around them. The subsystems work together to accomplish the goals of the larger system, which in this case is the organization. The theory has a broad perspective that enables managers to examine patterns and events in the workplace (Pryor et al., 2011). The subsystems, therefore, can be coordinated to work as a collective whole for the overall mission of the organization rather than for the isolated subsystems.
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This approach is different from the scientific approach, which was founded by Taylor, in that, workers never contributed in the decision process according to the scientific theory. Moreover, the managers were given much power over the workers hence giving rise to authoritarianism. However, there are various similarities between the approach used in my organization and the Scientific Management Approach. The approach used in my organization like the scientific approach is concerned with designing the job appropriately to motivate the workers to be more efficient and productive. Appropriate job design factors in the safety and welfare of the workers hence increasing job satisfaction in the workplace. Moreover, Taylor’s methods are applied in the work place to improve the quality and productivity in the workplace (Pryor et al., 2011). Practices such as the provision of financial incentives for bonuses and total quality management still apply in my organization. Tailor also used such activities in his scientific management approach.
There is also some correlation between the approaches used in my organization to the Human Relations Approach proposed by Henry Fayol. The Human Relations Approach considered the importance of human interactions and personal relationship in influencing productivity in the workplace. The management approach in my organization pays critical attention to the importance of group dynamics, teamwork, and the positive impact of social interaction in the workplace. As such, my organization has put in place structures to ensure the safety of employees at work. Also, team-building activities are organized to enhance bonding among employees. However, the Human Relations Approach did not consider the organization as consisting of subsystems that work together for the common objective of the organization.
It is important therefore to recognize that as much as modern organizations have apparently adopted new management approaches, most of the concepts applied relate to traditional theories of management. The concepts from Taylor’s approach to management are still applied in modern organizations. Moreover, the human aspects of the Human relation theory influence modern approaches to management on a large scale.
Motivation Theory
There are several theories of motivation, which have application in organizations as far as their behaviors are concerned. The motivation theories revolve around three aspects; needs, behavior and satisfaction. Therefore, the managers should identify the needs of the workers in relation to the desired behavior that managers want to encourage. Satisfaction of such needs will motivate employees to adopt the culture proposed by managers (Stecher & Rosse, 2007).
Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy
According to Maslow, human needs are ordered according to priority whereby people tend to satisfy various needs before others. The needs are arranged in a pyramid in order of priority as follows; physiological needs, safety needs, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. The physiological needs come first in terms of priority followed by the others (Stecher & Rosse, 2007). Managers, therefore, use the various categories of the need to influence the behavior of workers in the organization.
Alderfer’s ERG Theory
The theory classifies individual needs into three categories; growth needs, relatedness needs and existence needs. The theory is similar to Maslow’s except that it has collapsed the needs into three categories. According to this theory, human beings will satisfy existence needs before the others in terms of importance. They represent the levels of individuals in terms of their present needs. Therefore, a person who is after relatedness needs will not be motivated by existence needs.
Acquired Needs Theory by McClellan
The theory is related to the other theories except that it proposes that needs are acquired as a result of experiences. The needs are categorized as; the need for achievement, need for affiliations and need for power (Stecher & Rosse, 2007).
Managers should, therefore, identify the specific needs of individuals in the organization so that the appropriate employee needs are met to influence the desired behavior (Chalhoub, 2009). Not all employees, therefore, will be motivated by the satisfaction of the same needs since different individuals exist in different levels of needs.
Organization Behavior
Organization behavior is concerned about what people do in an organization, and how such a behavior influence performance in the organization. It is important also to point out that organization behavior determines an organization’s culture. There are various factors that managers need to consider to influence the desired behavior in an organization. The factors include the individual, the group, the organization, and the environment (Bell & Martin, 2012).
The working environment should satisfy the needs of the individual as well as attainment of organization goals. The influence of informal and formal group on the behavior of the individual in the organization should be identified to assist managers in determining the appropriate approach. Therefore, the influence of teams in an organization affects the behavior of the individual employees. The organization structure and design influence the behavior in the organization. The appropriate design and structure should be put in place to influence the required behavior. The environment also influences behavior through technological processes and government regulations.
Scientific Management Theory
Scientific management theory is a management approach founded by Fredrick Taylor. The theory focuses on the efficiency of movement of the work at hand. According to the theory, the worker will be motivated to be efficient and productive by designing the job appropriately. The theory effectively changed the purpose and scope of factory employees because it transformed the role of managers from that of bulling employees to that of supervising the individual aspects of productions with the aim of efficiently increasing production in the firm (Bell & Martin, 2012).
The theory was, however, criticized for not considering the human aspect in the production process. The scientific management theory approach, therefore, treated workers as machines.
Conclusion
Given the above, it is demonstrable that various aspects of modern theories of management borrow a lot from traditional theories of management. Organizations have applied a mixed of the respective traditional management theories in relation to their nature and need (Bell & Martin, 2012). Therefore, it important to appreciate the contribution of a classical theorist to modern management practices.
References
Bell, R. L., & Martin, J. S. (2012). The Relevance of Scientific Management and Equity Theory in Everyday Managerial Communication Situations. Journal of Management Policy & Practice, 13 (3), 106-115.
Pryor, M. G., Humphreys, J. H., Taneja, S. & Toombs, L. A. (2011). Where Are the New Organization Theories? Evolution, Development and Theoretical Debate. International Journal of Management, 28 (3), 959-978
Stecher, M. D., & Rosse, J. G. (2007). Understanding Reactions to Workplace Injustice through Process Theories of Motivation: A Teaching Module and Simulation. Journal of Management Education, 31 (6), 777-796 2007
