Text b historical development

There are difficulties in tracing the history of management. Some believe it cannot have a pre-modern history. Others, however, see management-like activities in the pre-modern past. Some writers trace the development of management thought back to Sumerian traders and ancient Egyptian pyramid builders. Slave-owners through the centuries faced the problems of exploiting/motivating a dependent but sometimes recalcitrant workforce, but many pre-industrial enterprises, given their small scale, did not feel compelled to face the issues of management systematically. But innovations such as the spread of Arabic numerals (5th to 15th centuries) and the codification of double-entry book-keeping (1494) provided tools for management assessment, planning and control.

The Industrial Revolution began in the eighteenth century and transformed the job of manager from owner-manager to professional, salaried manager. Prior to industrialization, the United States was predominantly an agricultural society. The production of manufactured goods was still in the handicraft stage and consisted of household manufacturing, small shops, and local mills. The inventions, machines, and processes of the Industrial Revolution (such as, the use of fossil fuels as sources of energy, the railroad, the improvement of steel and aluminum metallurgical processes, the development of electricity, and the discovery of the internal-combustion engine.) transformed business and management With the industrial innovations in factory-produced goods, transportation, and distribution, big business came into being. New ideas and techniques were required for managing these large-scale corporate enterprises.

Two large-scale institutions, the church and the military, served as examples of control for these new managers. Many of the management terms and techniques used today have their basis in ecclesiastical and military authority (for example, superior, subordinate, strategy, and mission). Military commanders need only give orders, and then discharge, penalize, and demote those who do not carry them out and reward those who do.

Some argue that modern management as a discipline began as an off-shoot of economics in the 19^th century. Classical economists such as Adam Smith and John Stuart Mill provided a theoretical background to resource allocation, production and pricing issues. About the same time, some innovators developed technical production elements such as standardization, quality control procedures, cost accounting, interchangeability of parts, and work planning. Many of these aspects of management existed in the US slave economy. There, 4 million people were, as the contemporary usages had it, "managed" in profitable quasi-mass production.

By about 1900 we find managers trying to place their theories on a way they thought was a thoroughly scientific basis. In 1911 the first college management textbook was written by J. Duncan. In 1912 Yoichi Ueno introduced Taylorism (see “Commentary on the texts”) to Japan and was the first management consultant to create the "Japanese-management style". His son then pioneered Japanese quality assurance.

As the general recognition of managers as a class solidified during the 20th century and gave perceived practitioners of management a certain amount of prestige, so the way opened for popularized systems of management ideas to peddle their wares. In this context many management fads may have had more to do with pop psychology than with scientific management theory.

Towards the end of the 20th century, business management came to consist of six separate branches, namely:

- Human resource management;

- Operations management or production management;

- Strategic management;

- Marketing management;

- Financial management;

- Information technology management responsible for Management Information Systems.

In the 21st century we find it increasingly difficult to subdivide management into functional categories in this way. More and more processes simultaneously involve several categories. Instead, we tend to think in terms of the various processes, tasks, and objects subject to management.

There are also branches related to nonprofits and government such as public administration, public management, and educational management. Further, management programs related to civil society organizations have also spawned programs in nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship.

Exercise 15. Comprehension. Say if the statements are true or false. Correct the false variant.

1. There is a generally accepted theory on the history of management.

2. There was a problem of motivating slaves in ancient Egypt.

3. Even such innovations as the spread of Arabic numerals and the codification of double-entry book-keeping failed to provide tools for management assessment, planning and control.

4. With the industrial innovations in factory-produced goods, transportation, and distribution, big business came into being.

5. By about the 19^th century managers tried to place their theories on a scientific basis.

6. The first college management textbook was written at the beginning of the 20^th century.

7. Towards the end of the 20th century, business management came to consist of four separate branches.

8. In the 21st century business management consists of the same number of branches.

Exercise 16. Say what you’ve learned from the text about

1. pre-modern history of management;

2. modern history of management.

Exercise 17. Discussion.

A. As it was mentioned in the text the 20^th century business management involved six branches.

• To your mind, what activities does each of the branch imply?

• Do you think new branches will appear in the 21^st century?

B. Ideals can become goals if they are consciously decided. You can identify your own profile of the ideal manager.

Think of the best manager you have known or heard about. Identify effective managerial characteristics by generating as many characteristics as possible.

1. Rank the characteristics most important to you.

2. Describe the resulting profile in a summary essay fashion.

3. In your essay, predict how this profile can affect your future career. Remember, you can determine your role as manager.

Exercise 18. Supplementary reading for further discussion.

It always tickles me when the managers of an organization describe its purpose. They are correct, of course, when they state the obvious contribution that it makes. But they miss the point – that is why most organizations are not well managed as they could be.

The point is that the purpose of organizations is to help people have lives. Lives come from the challenges and support that people derive from being responsible, being supplied or being cared for. There are an incredible number of organizations in our lives: some we work for, others we belong to, and most of them do something for us.

Our employer involves us with several groups that are significant: insurance companies, pension fund, industry associations. We have to deal with a few more in order to help manage the material aspects of our lives: banks, life insurance companies, plumbers, garbage collectors, etc…There are dozens of organizations that affect us, and probably no two people have identical lists.

The difference between a well-managed organization and one that just bumps along is multidimensional leadership. Success is the result of usefulness which comes from an understanding of what is necessary to make things happen.

The useful organization can be constructed and managed in an atmosphere of joy and satisfaction. The first part of causing success is to remember that the purpose of an organization is to help people have lives.

People band together to accomplish something: that is why we have families, nations, companies, and such. Often the purpose of that banding is forgotten after the basic needs are achieved.

Leadership provides the definitions and opportunities for the members. If it does not do that, the members get off on the wrong track and the organization becomes inoperative.

/adapted from Ph.Crosby/

Exercise 19. Explain the meaning of the following word groups.

it tickles me they miss the point to help people have lives organizations that affect us

to make things happen to cause success people band together to get off on the wrong track

Exercise 20. Think and answer.

• Why do managers miss the point when they describe the purpose of their organization?

• Do you agree that lives come from the challenges and support? Why (not)?

• Why do so many organizations affect our lives?

• Do you agree that success is the result of usefulness?

• What is your understanding of this statement?

• Why do people forget the initial purpose of banding together?

• Why is the role of leadership so significant for achieving the purpose of organization?