Management Theories Essay Example for Free

Management Theories Essay There are many different management theories that have been developed throughout the years in order to aid individuals within management roles. Even though some of these theories were developed years ago they can still be relevant in today’s society. One of these theories is The Administrative Approach Theory. The purpose of this paper is to explore why this theory can be considered a universal historical theory, the positive and negative aspects of this theory and how one of the management theories can be applied to an organization. Universal Historical Theory After reading through the historical management theories the writer feels that the Administrative Approach, developed by Fayol, can be considered the most universal and can be applicable in today’s business market. This is because unlike some of the other theories this theory focuses on the entire organization (Daft, 2010). This theory is made up of fourteen principles: Division of work, delegation of authority, discipline, chain of commands, congenial workplace, interrelation between individual interests and common organizational goals, compensation package, centralization, scalar chains, order, equity, job guarantee, initiatives and team spirit (FAO, 2013). â€Å"Fayol stressed the importance and the practice of forecasting and planning in order to apply these ideas and techniques† (Boundless, 2013 , para. 10). Advantages and Disadvantages As with any theory there are always some positive as well as negative aspects to it. One positive aspect of this theory is that since there is a division of work this can increase productivity not only in managerial work but also technical work (FAO, 2013). Another advantage is that since this theory believes in unity of command employees only have to report to one superior. By doing this, employees only take orders from one individual and therefor this limits the amount of confusion that can come about when multiple people are giving orders. A disadvantage to this theory is that since it is management oriented â€Å"it does not give much attention to the problems of the workers† (Akrani, 2013, para. 8). This can lead to the employees feeling under privileged and may increase job dissatisfaction. This theory is also very mechanical. Meaning that it does not deal with important things such as motivation, communication and leading (Akrani, 2013). Communication is very important in every organization so the writer feels that this is considered a negative aspect of this theory. Systems Theory The writer feels that the Systems Theory can be applied to her current work setting. This theory focuses on open and closed systems that interact with each other in order to achieve a common goal (Daft, 2010). Working within a hospital environment the organization is working towards a common goal of eliminating cancer. Since there are so many different systems that can affect this goal such as number of patients, money, resources, time, staff etc. it is important that management have a more systemic way of thinking and running their departments. Within the writers department when patients are seen in the clinic they generate money, this money can then be used to support and improve cancer research which therefore gets the organization one step closer to eliminating cancer. Conclusion Even though there are many different management theories available to help aid managers there are some that are more relevant than others. This paper looked at the Administrative Theory and how it can be applied universally. It also discussed how the Systems Theory can be applied to the writer’s current organization. By applying the best matched management theory to one’s organization this can help build a successful and positive company.