Context of Management theories

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• Lecture 30

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• Context of Management theories Theorist
  followed in post world war II era
  organizational efficiency model of Fredrick
  Taylor with closed system approach, narrowly
  focussing control-oriented organizations with
• Complex structure and simple,
• Monotonous, routine tasks while
• Ignoring environmental dynamics
• - Mechanistic approach which dehumanised the
  work and organization
• But todays environment is different as
  worker/employee and consumer is flexible in its
  behavioural (or choice)

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• Attributes of SOC
• Strategic organizational change will be referred
  to as a flexible strategic planning process as
  opposed to a static form of strategic planning.
  Mintzberg talked of intended strategy ----
  realised
• emergent (unintended0 ---- unrealised
• Because organizational change has become an
  integral part of the planning and formulation of
  organizational strategies, while the classical
  strategic planning model just presented where
  planning came before formulation (in isolation)
  does not apply anymore.
• It can therefore be suggested that strategic
  organizational change encompass ongoing
  initiatives that are directed from the top to the
  bottom of the organization and has a profound
  effect on the depth of the change effort.
• From the above perspectives imply that SOCs could
  involve organizational transformations from mass
  production to lean production, the adoption of
  advance manufacturing technologies and the
  implementation of total quality management
  systems.
• (since demand or consumer behaviour changes
  frequently)
• SOC can be reactive or proactive
• can be directed, intended or continuous,
  discontinuous, consequential and unconsciously
  creeping in organization

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• Sources of change
• Strategic organizational change can emanate from
  two different sources change can either
  originate from the external environment such as
  changes in competitors actions, government
  regulations, economic conditions and
  technological advances.
• Example of government to de-regulate or
  privatize industry
• Trade liberalization e.g. of import
  substitution to zero tariff regime
• Organizations take inputs from the environment
  (e.g. suppliers), transforms some of these
  inputs, and send them back into the environment
  as outputs ( e.g. products) (Johns, 1983).
• Change can also originate from within an
  organization. These changes could be new
  corporate vision and mission, the purchase of new
  technology, mergers and acquisitions and the
  decline in the morale of the company.
• Consequently, among the most common and
  influential forces of organizational change are
  the emergence of new competitors, innovations in
  technology, new company leadership, and evolving
  attitudes towards work

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• Implications for Management
• Rise of uncertainty as was during Taylor's (1911)
  time recourse to scientific management i.e.
  one best way to do things and efficiency based
  routines
• But now suggested of equi-finality, cultural way
  of doing and decentralized structure
• So for managers to work in teams and learning
  multi-disciplinary skills to become generalist
  and functional specialist as well
• Contingency planning and adaptive capacity
  organization should have.
• Suggested some key management change variables
  should include goals and strategies,
  technologies, job design, organizational
  structure and people (Johns, 1983)
• Other focussed on the intervention strategies
  that managers (org) must know and apply.