The Evolution of Management: From Ancient Times to the Present

The concept of management has been around since ancient times. Learn about its evolution from Frederick Taylor's principles of scientific management to modern day data analysis.

The Evolution of Management: From Ancient Times to the Present

The concept of management has been around since ancient times, but it was not until the late 19th century that the first modern school of thought on management emerged. This was based on Frederick Taylor's principles of scientific management, which gained a lot of popularity due to its use of scientific techniques. In Asia, the Chinese began to develop the idea of bureaucracy during the Han Dynasty (206 BC — 220 AD). This system was not formal but depended on the discretion of the academics themselves, and it also introduced the idea of meritocracy, as selection and promotion within a bureaucracy were based on a test of Confucian teaching. Before the industrial revolution, there was no real “management” as we know it today.

It was only after this period that tasks such as coordination, planning, control, reward and resource allocation became the responsibility of managers. Management programs related to civil society organizations have also created non-profit management and social entrepreneurship programs. In 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor introduced a completely new theory based on science, and it was called principles of scientific management. Michael Porter's most important contribution to modern management thinking was connecting a company's strategy to its financial performance. Henri Fayol is credited with developing the management concepts of planning, organization, coordination, command and control (Fayol, 194), which were the forerunners of the four basic principles of current management: plan, organize, direct and control.

Herzberg argued that most motivational efforts driven by management ultimately failed because they could reduce job dissatisfaction but not increase job satisfaction. Management theories continued to evolve with other innovative thinkers proposing additional concepts.Data analysis provides information to help managers better understand customer behavior, customer wants and needs, personalize the delivery of marketing messages, and track visits to online websites. AI will lose some jobs but many others will emerge that will require a new level of management experience. Human skills such as empathy, teaching and training employees, focusing on developing people, and free time for creative thinking will become increasingly important as AI continues to develop. The minutes of the annual meeting of the Academy of Management include summaries of all the articles and symposiums presented at the annual conference, as well as abbreviated 6-page versions of the “best articles accepted for inclusion in the program” (approximately 10%).

Doug Pelletiu
Doug Pelletiu

Total bacon ninja. Avid travel scholar. Evil bacon advocate. Freelance social media scholar. Devoted beer practitioner. Incurable bacon guru.

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