A school of management thought is a system of ideas and principles about how organizations should be managed. different schools of management thought are based on different underlying assumptions about human nature, the nature of organizations, and the role of managers. They also differ in the way they propose to achieve organizational success.
Some of the major schools of management thought include:
Scientific Management school of thought:
The scientific management school of thought, also known as the Taylorist approach, was based on the scientific principles of efficiency and rationality. The scientific management school of thought emphasized the importance of breaking down tasks into their smallest components and designing jobs so that they could be performed efficiently.
Human Relations school of thought:
The human relations school of thought emerged in the 1930s as a reaction to the scientific management school of thought. This school of thought recognized that workers are not just machines, but also human beings with psychological and emotional needs.
Quantitative management school of thought:
The quantitative management school of thought emerged in the 1950s as a result of the development of new mathematical and statistical techniques. This school of thought emphasizes the use of quantitative methods, such as mathematical models and computer simulations, to solve management problems.
Systemic management school of thought:
The systems management school of thought emerged in the 1960s as a holistic approach to management. This school of thought views organisations as complex systems that interact with their environment. The systems management school of thought emphasizes the importance of understanding the interconnections between different parts of an organisation and the environment within which it operates.
Contingency management school of thought:
The contingency management school of thought emerged in the 1970s as a reaction to the prescriptive approaches of the scientific management and quantitative management schools of thought.
This school of thought emphasizes that the best management practices are contingent upon the specific situation.
Modern schools of management thought
In addition to the above classical schools of management thought, several other schools of management thought have emerged in recent years. Each school of thought offers a unique perspective on management, and many organizations and managers draw upon multiple schools of management thought to develop their own management practices.
Each of these schools of management thought has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, and the best approach for a particular organization will depend on the organization's specific circumstances.