Compare and Contrast the Classical, Human Relations, and Systems Essay

Compare and Contrast the Classical, Human Relations, and Systems Approaches to Organization and Management - Essay Example One of the most important and central part of the study of management and organization is based upon how the overall management thinking has evolved over the period of time. Managers therefore must be able to keep themselves updated with the changes in the way management thinking has evolved over the period of time. This allows managers to actually get an insight into how the management has actually changed while facing different issues and challenges. The more managers know about management and organizational methods and operations, better they will be at making critical and important decisions. This knowledge also allows managers to make effective decisions and contribute positively towards the overall development of the organization. It is therefore critical that the overall developments made in the field of management and organizational thinking should be traced. Over the period of time, four important approaches towards organization and management have evolved. These include classical, human relations, systems and contingency approaches towards management and organization. All these approaches evolved as a result of different changes taking place within the domain of organizational development. Issues like leadership, employee motivation, performance, compensation etc dominated the way these approaches gradually evolved and matured over the period of time. Based on these approaches a comprehensive framework evolved regarding theory about management. Classical approach towards management and organizations view purpose of the organization as an essential element to understand as to how organization work and what methods can actually be adapted in order to improve the efficiency and work. Identification of purpose of the organization was also based upon crystallizing the roles and responsibilities within the organization. Since classical approach viewed organization having formal structures therefore it was important that clear roles and responsibilities should be identified first. These roles and responsibilities however, based upon first identifying and refining the purpose of the organization. Scientific management and bureaucracy are the two sub-groups of the classical approach and both the sub-groups have their own merits and de-merits. One of the key arguments of the writers on classical approach was based upon the notion that improving the management will actually improve the performance and the organization. F.W. Taylor was one of the key writers during that era outlining different principles which governed the scientific management approach within classical school of management. He advocated the implementation of scientific methods for selection and hiring of the workers while at the same time also suggested same approach for training and development of workers also. (Crainer, 1998) Classical approach however, visualized organizations and management as entities which can control the behavior of their workers. One of the key criticisms of this approach was therefore based upon the notion that labor workers may react strongly against the management principles of control. The creation of multiple layers of management in order to oversee and supervise the work was considered as essential in order to generate more efficiency and make workers productive. In nutshell, it can be argued that the classical approach was largely based upon the use of scientific methods of management with focus on improving effic iency and productivity by using scientific methods. The Human Relations Approach The main emphasis of classical