-
Scientific Management
Frederick Taylor promotes managers to be the most important aspect of a work environment, putting them over the employees. In Taylor's form of scientific management, the system is put first and the employees must fall into it in hopes of maximizing profit. -
Monopolies and Antitrust
By 1890, business tycoons Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan had all created powerful monopolies of their own with little to no competition, so they could set the prices for the whole industry. In 1890 the federal government stepped in with the Sherman Antitrust Act to try and target monopolies, a practice that would continue vigorously until WWI. -
Assembly Line
Credited to Henry Ford, the assembly line sped up production greatly and was very scientific, with each employee repeating the same task over and over hundreds of times in a day. This served as a revolutionary idea in manufacturing and is still used in some capacity to this day. -
Bureaucratic Theory
Max Weber developed a theory that bureaucracy is the most efficient form of organization, and that bureaucratic and legal power is the most important type of power in an organization. Since 1930, opinion has shifted away from this idea of bureaucracy, but it was very popular in recent history. -
Sociotechnical Systems Theory
Typically thought of as a 180-degree turnaround from the scientific management common at the time, a London research group founded a theory based on environmental, social, technical, and organizational aspects when designing workspaces and jobs. -
Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow's hierarchy of needs sets a basic overview of how people develop their needs over time, allowing employers and managers to see a framework upon which to build commitment to the company and goal. -
Hygiene and Motivational Factors
Frederick Herzberg develops a list of factors based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, but more closely related to and pertaining to work. Hygiene factors are on the bottom levels and must be attained before motivational factors can be used to help stimulate the workers. -
Theory X and Y Developed
McGregor developed the different management theories X and Y. A manager with theory X on a most basic level believes that people hate to work and and self-centered. A theory Y manager believes that employees will like work if the environment is welcoming and the focus should be on creativity and teamwork. -
Theory Z
A blend of Far Eastern and Western management styles, Ouchi developed a management style based on keeping employees in the company. It stresses the need for employees to be highly trained generalists rather than specialists in the company. When done right, well trained employees will be promoted within to continue the theory Z-style management and all employees will feel an obligation to work hard. -
The Rise of Ethics
The business ethics movement got kicked off when Aaron Feuerstein kept paying 3,000 of his workers even as they were out of work for months after a fire burnt down the mill. Since then, ethics have been a big part of management, and it has become expected for managers to treat their employees right.
