This Week Students Learn About Organizational Theory

La1this Week Students Learn About Organizational Theory And The Relat

LA1 This week, students learn about organizational theory and the relationship to the role of 21st century manager. A manager is a person whose job it is to direct the implementation and achievement of a subset of organizational goals. Organizational theory is a field of study that has evolved in the last one hundred years to offer assistance to managers in the way they approach their job in an effort to accomplish the organization’s vision and mission. The 21st century manager is a person who organizes, executes, and plans the process and production of an organization. Traditionally, the role of the manager, as defined by organizational theory, has been the person who sets short term goals for the organization to execute and performs tasks that include the process, procedure, and production of the organization’s purpose or vision.

The modern role of the manager still includes these tasks but has developed to include the role of facilitator in the way the manager accomplishes the organizational goals assigned to his or her control. With these ideas in mind, compare and contrast the role of management, as reflected by management theory, in the 20th century organization with the role of management in the 21st. Include in your discussion the theoretical schools of thought(s) that speak to the manager’s role in the business environment as well as the definition of the environment itself. How has the change in business purpose (i.e., manufacturing vs. service), the business environment, worker attitudes, and behaviors affected the role of the manager in an organization and how has the theory evolved to cope?

Paper For Above instruction

Management roles and organizational theories have undergone significant transformation from the 20th to the 21st century, driven by shifts in business purpose, environment, and workforce attitudes. Analyzing these changes requires understanding the foundational theories that guided managerial practices in different eras and how these theories adapted to the evolving organizational landscape.

Management in the 20th Century: The 20th century was characterized primarily by a focus on efficiency, standardization, and hierarchical control, largely rooted in classical management theories. The Scientific Management theory, pioneered by Frederick Taylor, emphasized task optimization and productivity through scientific methods. Taylor’s approach advocated for selecting and training workers for specific tasks, with managers planning and controlling work processes. This theory positioned managers as decision-makers and controllers of work, with a clear definition of the organizational environment as a structured, often rigid, system aimed at maximizing outputs.

Similarly, the Administrative School, as developed by Henri Fayol, provided a broader perspective on management functions—plan, organize, command, coordinate, and control—highlighting the managerial role as a planner and administrator responsible for the entire organization. The bureaucratic model, articulated by Max Weber, further emphasized formal rules, hierarchy, and impersonal relationships, emphasizing stability and predictability in the organizational environment. These theories collectively reinforced a view of management as a top-down process operating within a relatively stable, manufacturing-driven business environment focused on mass production and efficiency.

Despite their strengths, these classical approaches often neglected human factors and worker motivation, which later spurred the development of behavioral management theories in the mid-20th century, such as the Human Relations Movement, which recognized the importance of employee morale and social needs. However, even these approaches kept the organizational environment largely viewed as stable and controllable.

Management in the 21st Century: As the business landscape transitioned into the 21st century, shifts in economic activity from manufacturing to service-oriented industries, alongside rapid technological advances and globalization, challenged traditional management paradigms. The contemporary managerial role has expanded beyond mere planning and control to fostering innovation, adaptability, and collaborative culture. The organizational environment is now viewed as dynamic, complex, and interconnected, often referred to as a "complex adaptive system".

Theories such as Contingency Theory emerged, emphasizing that managerial actions should depend on external and internal variables. This approach recognizes that no one-size-fits-all management style exists; instead, managers must adapt their leadership and decision-making to varying circumstances, including a more fluid, service-based environment that requires customer-centered approaches and flexibility.

Transformational Leadership theories further emphasize inspiring and motivating employees in a globalized, knowledge-driven economy. Managers act more as facilitators and innovators, promoting team empowerment and organizational learning, to respond swiftly to market fluctuations and technological changes. Additionally, the rise of knowledge management and participative management models highlight a shift towards flatter organizational structures and emphasizing employee engagement and collaboration.

The evolving worker attitudes — valuing autonomy, purpose, and work-life balance — have pressed managers to adopt more participative and transformational approaches, reducing hierarchical control and encouraging innovation. Moreover, the rise of remote work and digitally mediated communication tools necessitate managers to develop skills in virtual leadership and digital collaboration.

Overall, the theories have evolved from rigid, control-oriented models to more flexible, adaptive, and human-centric approaches, paralleling the transition from manufacturing to service industries and the increasing importance of intellectual capital. Managers today must navigate a complex environment characterized by rapid change, innovation, and diverse workforce expectations, requiring a nuanced understanding of organizational theories and their practical applications.

References

• Davis, S. M. (2014). Future Perfect: The Overhauling of America's Largest Organizations. Jossey-Bass.
• Fayol, H. (1916). General and Industrial Management. Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons.
• Frederick Taylor, F. (1911). The Principles of Scientific Management. Harper & Brothers.
• Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2020). Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases. Cengage Learning.
• Katz, D., & Kahn, R. L. (1966). The Social Psychology of Organizations. Wiley.
• Likert, R. (1961). New Patterns of Management. McGraw-Hill.
• Morgan, G. (2006). Images of Organization. Sage Publications.
• Robbins, S. P., & Coulter, M. (2018). Management. Pearson.
• Weber, M. (1947). The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Free Press.
• Yukl, G. (2012). Leadership in Organizations. Pearson.