History of Management

By jbenger
  • 5000 BCE

    Sumerian Management

    According to author David Wren, the first evidence of management traces back to 5000 bce, in ancient Sumer.
  • Period: 2670 BCE to 800

    Construction of the Pyramids in egypt

    The current first pyramid, the step pyramid was constructed out of huge amounts of stone blocks, that weighed approximately 2.5 tons. Having to coordinate time (workers couldn't build during harvest time or seeding time), and worker's pay, and the previously mentioned stone blocks would be almost impossible without management.
  • 108 BCE

    Reform of Rome's Legion

    In 108 bce, when Gaius Marius became the consul of Rome, he restructured the legionnaire's system, into one where anybody could become a legionnaire. This would radically change the army from a military force to a national force, where soldiers had at least some other trade useful for constructing some of the public works that still stand today. The Roman Legionaries are notorious for their structure and discipline, a key indicator of managerial structures.
  • Period: 900 to 1400

    Dark Ages

    The more organised empires dissolved into smaller countries, with large scale management ending with these empires. With less structure and less empires, management was largely reserved for people dealing with surfs.

  • Industrial Revolution Starts in Britain

  • Period: to

    Industrial Revolution

    The establishment of modern management approaches would be impossible without the huge shift in production that was the industrial revolution. With the societal shift from farming to heavy industry, the management of workers in this new setting was new to Europe.

  • Industrial Revolution ends

  • Fredrick W. Taylor Publishes 'The Principals of Scientific Management'

    The methods proposed by Fredrick Taylor would be used to streamline the tasks that workers performed in order to standardise role specific tasks, and thus increase productivity. This created the theory of Scientific Management. The period of growth & innovation before WWI would encapsulate this theory, with science being a relative 'tool for good' in the public consensus.
  • Period: to

    World War I

    When the war started, the rationing of materials and the reduction in workforce necessitated more streamlined production methods.

  • Henri Fayol publishes 'General Industrial Management'

    Henri Fayol introduced 14 management principles in his publication, and as a result founded the principal of administrative management. The necessity to rapidly innovate with dwindling materials from world war 1 would also shape this theory, as efficiency in the workplace could led to victory or defeat for the home country.

  • Mary Follett's Creation of 'Organisations as Communities'

    Follett saw how people interact within social groups formed in the workplace, and logically concluded that when managers and employees have a positive 'community' of social group within their organisation, there is an opportunity for people to resolve conflicts that might eliminate situations which could reduce their productivity.

  • Publication of 'Economy and Society'

    The publication of the works of Max Weber would give the world a precise definition of a structure called bureaucracy. This, as a result would provide the theory for Bureaucratic organisation. The inefficiencies of the first world war would also show the need for a more effective chains of command within the workplace.

  • Hawthorn Studies

    Elton Mayo's study on worker fatigue showed how the conditions of the workplace, for better or worse, has a psychological effect on the workers. The change after world war I where workers were seen as more human seems to have effected this.

  • The Hawthorn Studies

    The team led by Elton Mayo discovered that detrimental psychological effects found in the Hawthorn plant of Western Energy Works had detrimental effects on the efficiencies of the workers, and thus lowered production output.

  • Organisations as Communities

    Mary Parker Follett's theory on companies as a focus for public good, and how organisations should have employees work in harmony in order to decrease the chances of possible delay causing disputes, and have employees work more efficiently.
  • Period: to

    The Great Depression

    With lower demands for products, and most businesses needing to reduce overhead costs, efficiency was almost required for any business to survive in this decade.

  • Organisations as Systems

    Chester Barnard's publication of 'Functions of the Executive' used his experience with the telephone world, and probably the changes in structures of companies after the end of the great recession.
  • Period: to

    World War 2

    The sequel to WWI, this would shape the functions of the world going into the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.

  • Maslow's Theory on Human Needs

    The structure of human needs the Maslow created seems to correlate with the importance of morale with soldiers in WWII, as the steps used to show which need was more important, seem like a checklist with optional steps.
  • Period: to

    Cold War

    This period of time represents a 'doubling down' on the beliefs of capitalism by the West, and the fear of Communism present in the minds of many people.

  • Quantitative analysis

    Watson Watts described quantitative analysis as: 'to examine quantitatively whether the user organization is getting from the operation of its equipment the best attainable contribution to its overall objective.' and due to the fact that this theory arose from the most effective management strategies from WWII, this checks out.

  • Argyris's Theory of Adult Personality

    With higher focus on employee morale, the effects seen during WWII with soldiers could have been translated into the workforce by the people who returned from a highly structured organisation back into organisations with glaring inefficiencies.

  • McGregor's Theory X and theory Y

    Douglas McGregor's Theory of theory X & Y seems to have correlated with the societal shift from anything close to the red C word, this could also be why the theory Y states that people like to work (in the USA, and the western world), as an opposite to the lazy C words.

  • Quality Management Theory

    Edward Drummings focused on improving the industry standard within the conquered nation of Japan. With the reconstruction and a focus on creating a strong (capitalist) economy within the country in order to 'stave off the commies' Quality Management Theory was something that was shaped BECAUSE it was of highest importance to fully restart their economy under the US systems.

  • 21st Century Leadership

    Peter Drucker described the need for leaders in the 21st century to be able to embrace change that occurs within technology and society in order to pursue any semblance of stability, in short, without adaptation you'll be left in the dust.

  • Knowledge Based Management

    The practice of knowledge based management existed in some form for a large portion of the 20th century, but during the last 40 or so years, the pace at which technology advanced has almost exponentially increased. Because of this, there is an constant need for companies to innovate in order to survive in the modern world. Peter Drucker Emphasized this fact when he said that 'knowledge constantly makes itself obsolete'.

  • Evidence based Management

    After conducting research, the person who Created 'evidence based management' seems to be Dr. David Sackett. This corelates with the rise in people pursuing post secondary, and the general prestige of medicine actually stressing new graduates out.