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Scientific Management
Frederick Taylor created the theory of scientific management. This theory focused on efficiency and how much time each task takes, with the goal of ensuring that communication works efficienty in an organizational structure. -
Principles of Management
Created by Henri Fayol, this approach to organizational communication was all about hierarchy. Fayol attempted to undersstand organizations by looking at the chain of command and was largely focused on legitimate power within an organization. -
Principles of Coordination
Mary Parker Follett's works marked a turning point from the Scientific perspectives. Follett's theories were focused on the well-being of the workers and had a humanistic perspective. This theory is focused on understanding workers and what is important to motivate them. -
Hawthorne Effect
Elton Mayo was one of the first to apply a human behavior point of view to organization communication. Mayo did experiments that looked at how things like light, temperature, and other environmental factors can effect employee productivity. This created a shift to looking at employee satisfaction rather than viewing workers simply as tools. -
Principles of Bureaucracy
Max Weber, often referred to as the father of bureaucracy, developed this theory because he felt there was a lack of authority in organizations at the time. Weber felt that an organization's problems could be solved by adhering to hierarchy - in other words, if there is a problem take it to the person directly above you, and so on. -
Critical Theory
Critical theory traces its roots to multiple theoriests, including Karl Marx, Jurgen Habermas, and Michel Foucault. Critical theory is a critique of power and power abuse. It seeks to understand organizations in context of relationships and the power within relationships. -
Decision-Making Approach
Created by Herbert Simon, the decision-making approach is an integrated perspective that focuses on how people make decisions in an organization. Simon theorized that all decisions are made based on partial information that is available to the individual. -
Feminist Perspectives
Largely created by Marta Calas and Linda Smircich, feminist organization theories look at gender as an important variable in organizations. This conecpt is that women are marginalized in the workplace and have less power.
