Understanding how organizations work has been a critical area of interest for scholars for many decades. From them, management styles are crafted, which underline various approaches to manage communication that grows a business. According to Parke & Seo (2017) , t he adopted management model is influenced by factors such as personal preferences, company policy, as well as what proves most effective. In various business contexts, shifting from one model to another is quite possible within reason. However, dramatic changes are hard to implement in large business models due to the many formalities and legal alterations required. Both the Scientific model and the Bureaucratic model are standard in the industrial and manufacturing space where output is carefully monitored and calculated.
Scientific Management Model
This is a theory that emphasizes on an individual and the respective result from processes. Taylor believed that for organizations to attain a productive workplace, they must find the best way for each individual to carry their duties ( Ferdous, 2016). This implies that organizations take a nurturing approach, maximizing individual strengths rather than enforcing a strict bunch of rules on performance. The scientific management perspective is hugely data-based though it incorporates a strong human component. The model involves testing different approaches, performing various calculations as well as examining data sets to understand trends, what works, and what does not . This approach requires time for analyzed data to offer insights. It also requires intensive tracking and record-keeping, assisting in making projections (Turan, 2015).
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Bureaucratic Management Model
This particular style, fronted by Max Weber, is based on a stringent set of guidelines and hierarchy. That is, people adhering to strict processes and following set instructions. The model works quite well for some businesses and not for others ( Ferdous, 2016). For instance, in an industry where a specific task is carried out repetitively, a deviation from this task would disrupt the entire process or damage the output. Seniority rules apply as senior managers can assign tasks to employees who have to follow set instructions to produce a particular outcome. Also, weber argues that documentation is essential as tracking and recording would offer points of reference on every incident. These records provide insights on employee conduct and can be used to make corrections. In essence, it is a solution-based approach that focuses on identifying recurrent problems and taking the necessary measures to fix them. All these are backed up by strict record-keeping tendencies to achieve effectiveness.
Question 2: Taylor and Weber Ideas
Taylor and Weber are quite distinctive figures that appear in organizational theory in different ways. In many scholarly articles, Taylor is projected as a pillar to modern management, while Max's position is quite impressive. To understand scientific management, one has to dissect Taylor's ideas. Frederick Winslow Taylor was no theorist but an engineer working in the iron and steel industry in the United States in the 18 th century ( Turan, 2015). At the time, the steel industry was employing many immigrants. Weber, alive at the time, had already advanced his ideas on Protestantism anchored on individualism and hard work as the origin of capitalism. Taylor strangely observed that workers worked at their own pace, used their tools, and even organized their own devices. He noted that workers would 'soldier' meaning slack off either due to laziness or attitude, thus restrict output to maintain their jobs. For this, he lost trust in them and found a solution in scientific management ( Ferdous, 2016). This was anchored on four principles.
Division of work between managers and workers.
A science element to each piece of work
Cooperation between workers and managers
Scientific training and training of workers. (Turan, 2015).
To measure output, time, and motion (T& M) were considered as managers supervised workers using stopwatches. Having established the time for each activity, managers would calculate the bonus for going past the set target. After adoption, workers would no longer give unrealistic figures. It brought a certain work ethic based on 'fair day's wage.' If the calculations proved that it took 80 seconds to drink a glass of milk, then workers wouldn't lie to managers anymore. Scientific management aimed to eliminate discrepancies in output as reported through this created more problems. Workers no longer depend on group efforts as they would be paid based on a fixed system ( Parke & Seo , 2017) . Other critics argued that standardization limited innovation and entrepreneurship. Power was transferred from workers to managers. What followed was reduced autonomy and weak working environment claims. The arrangement was that managers would decide as workers acted accordingly ( Waring, 2016). Overall, workers had to perform their duties in a prescribed manner to get paid. The system was adopted across various organizations causing conflict as workers went on strike. The system created a bunch of powerful managers who would use their stopwatches and myriad benchmarks to evaluate workers. Though he was later sacked, a group of his followers developed the ideas to the 20 th century. In the next century, scientific management previously referred to Taylorism treated workers through pain or pleasure. That is, meet set targets and get rewarded or miss them and be fined. The notion was that people are only motivated by money. Many workers didn't conform to being treated like money-motivated robots, thus did their jobs not caring about the bonuses but rather other things which made life worthwhile ( Waring, 2016).
Max Weber
He viewed the world as confirming to some sort of authority. That is, people submitted to others either willingly or by brute force. The brute-force could also be termed as coercion and isn't the same as authority. According to him, all forms of power were supplanted by rationally-legal power ( Ferdous, 2016). That is obedience through some reasoned, logical perspective. This was not arbitrary as it came from as a system of codified laws and applied through various means. In his perspective, the organization has hierarchical relations, usually termed bureaucracy. He asserted that jobs are defined. Max fronts the concept of rationality, which has drawn mixed reactions from philosophers. Philosopher Immanuel Kant works on his work in embodies this concept as the ability to reason rather than rely on others. Weber, on his part, argued that bureaucracies employ formal or instrumental rationality. Interpretation may vary though the underlying principle connotes they maximize production and minimize waste. That is, they don't care about ethics but focus on getting the job done. Despite this, Daneshfard & Aboalmaali (2016) argue that bureaucracies embody a certain ethic. They are about fairness promoting impersonality, and rejecting patronage. An example of this is that getting a promotion won't be based on your skin color or whether you went to the same school as your boss. ("Max Weber bureaucracy theory: Concept, principles, and forms," 2019)
The model is hugely criticized for dehumanizing people due to its rigidity. Besides this, rules always have consequences. This means that when people are bound to act in a certain way, the outcome could be undesired. Some may ignore, circumvent, resist, or misunderstand
While its shortcomings cannot be understated, Weber's bureaucratic view serves two exciting things, when problems occur, managers rush to draw models, adopt a new reward system, reorganization and so on. Management consultants or business schools feed some of this. This could be quite irresponsible. There are many times people have rushed to make resignation or crucial decisions only for the consequences of appearing later ( Waring, 2016).
Question 3: Application Today
Weber's ideas are evident in today's organizations, as well. Authority increases as one moves from bottom to the top. It's clear from is ideas that authority is vested on the position rather than the individual. Weber benefited much from Taylor's work, and his thoughts extrapolate from the real world. (Őnday,2016). His characteristics of bureaucracy evident today are as follows
Existence of fixed and official jurisdiction areas commonly ordered by rules or administrative regulations.
Office hierarchy principle anchored on a system of superiors and subordinates with seniors supervising the lower subordinates
Office management administered via expert training.
Once the office is fully developed, duty demand official to work on it
Office management follows the rules, more or less exhaustive, and can be learned. (Őnday, 2016).
The Bureaucratic model is quite in use in many governments where profits are not a priority, and budgets are determined based on a tax system.
Conclusion
All theories are condemned from various quarters. Nonetheless, many complement the precise movement. Private and public organizations are not yet fully aligned, in practice and theory to global problems. This requires them to adjust their internal systems to adapt to changes within the short time possible.
References
Daneshfard, K., & Aboalmaali, F. S. Max Weber's Philosophy of Bureaucracy and Its Criticism.
Ferdous, J. (2016). Organization theories: from classical perspective. International Journal of Business, Economics and Law , 9 (2), 1-6.
Max Weber's bureaucracy theory: Concept, principles, and forms . (2019, November 22). Toppr-guides. https://www.toppr.com/guides/fundamentals-of-economics-and-management/evolution-of-management-thought/bureaucratic-theory-by-max-weber/
Őnday, Ő. (2016). Classical organization theory: from generic management of Socrates to bureaucracy of weber. International Journal of Business and Management Review , 4 (1), 87-105.
Parke, M. R., & Seo, M. G. (2017). The role of affect climate in organizational effectiveness. Academy of Management Review , 42 (2), 334-360.
Turan, H. (2015). Taylor's Scientific Management Principles": Contemporary Issues in Personnel Selection Period. Journal of economics, business, and management , 3 (11), 1102-1105.
Waring, S. P. (2016). Taylorism Transformed: Scientific management theory since 1945 . UNC Press Books.
