business
held views of stakeholders and consider them when they develop strategies
- The classical, behavioural and political approaches to management have their strengths and weaknesses:
The classical treated people as machines and although they significantly improved productivity at the time there are techniques, ignored by these theorists, that would further improve productivity
The behavioural approach added to our understanding of the importance of leadership, motivation, communication and resolving conflict to improve productivity
The political approach added to our understanding of power and authority in reconciling the different views of stakeholders
- The systems theorists recognised that a business should be seen as a system (a set of interrelated parts all operating together to achieve common goals). They:
Recognise that systems involve inputs, transformation process, outputs and feedback
Saw the role of managers as one of coordination – coordinating all parts of the organisation so it can achieve its goals
- The contingency theorists recognised that there are many variables that can impact on a business. They:
Focused on the idea that managers must make decisions according to the circumstances of a particular situation
Suggested flexible structures and leadership styles