The Ideas of the Classical Theorists, Particularly

The ideas of the classical theorists, particularly those of bureaucratism and scientific direction, are generally considered as rather salmagundi shower(a) fashion and out of date, and of little relevance to work and organic law now. Is this really the case? The classical speculation is the earliest form of prudence that perceived that a set of universal principles would apply to all the organizations in all situations to achieve cogency and organizations goals. co.uk/nursing-scientific- way-and-frederick-taylor/Scientific management and bureaucratic theory were one of the several components of the classical schooling of organization.Important pioneers among them are Frederick Taylor and Max Weber. The classical theories demand been con interrogatoryed of little relevance to work and organization forthwith simply because todays organizations have moved from industrial revolution to the information age collectable to the tumultuous-paced change in engineering (Toffler, 1 984). Although bureaucracy has been synonymous to red tape and has negatives effects such as rigidity, alienation and low commitment (Adler, 1999, p. 7) and dehumanizing people (Grey, 2009), the characteristics of bureaucracy such as specialization, hierarchy of authority, arranging of rules and impersonality (Stewart, 1986) as well as evidence of ongoing existence of this management method, bureaucracy is proved to stay on noneworthy. This essay leave behind examine the situation presented in organization today, and determine whether bureaucracy and scientific management can be considered as old fashioned, out of date and of little relevance to work and organization today.With the broad set of powerful economic, social and technological changes greater competition, globalization of production, rising demand for innovation, refreshful forms of information applied science and wide change in customer preferences have concluded that the days of immutable structures of bureauc ratic models are over. According to Warren, he concluded that there was no longer the stable air environment which bureaucracy exists, resulting in the rigid and formal rules of bureaucracy to be obsolete (Knights and Willmott, 2006). Like dinosaurs, mechanical organizations are doomed and the days of post-bureaucracies have arrived (Du Gay, 2005). With an increasing sireth in knowledge-intensive sectors, for prototype consultancy companies, law and chronicle firms, advertising agencies, research-and-development and IT companies, the need for flexibility and capacities for creative action has become to a greater extent important than narrow efficiency (Karreman, Sveningsson and Alvesson, 2002).These knowledge-intensive firms are performing tasks that are more complex than before, making it more challenging to convert them into regulate work procedures and regulations, which make bureaucracy model become less relevant to work today. Supported by Mr Paul, who was the Vice-Chairm an of Wipro from 1999 to 200, IT service companies need a cardinal re physical body. The bureaucracy is killing customer satisfaction (Narasimhan, 2011). At the a wish(p) time, it suggests employees demand for more flexibility and autonomy, rather than simply representing orders and rules.However, studies show that knowledge-intensive companies are becoming more bureaucratic in their operations. In the case of Beta Consulting Company, authority is seen practiced through hierarchy, work methodological analysis is standardized and work procedures are fine-tuned towards predictability of outputs (Karreman, Sveningsson and Alvesson, 2002). Since the 1970s, there is likewise an alleged shift from industrial to post industrial era, from mass production of standard products to short products for the niche markets.For example, the Apple IPhone demonstrates a shorter production run such as a new version of the IPhone is released both year (Smith, 2011). Post-bureaucracy is proposed as a new organizational model which is more appropriate to todays business environment in a lowstanding that it is based on trust, empowerment, personal treatment and shared responsibility. A flatter and organic structure of post-bureaucracy is fundamental to allow employees to be more creative and capable of adapting themselves to the variety of new problems faced in todays agonistic environment.There is as well as a reduction in the take aim of hierarchy to allow employees to let in greater responsibility, which in return increases job satisfaction (du Gay, 2005). On the contrary, greater responsibility can genuinely cause greater stress for employees, as they now no longer have the same level of protection that bureaucracies can provide. Nevertheless, the idea-type of post-bureaucracy also imposes problems such as lost of conceal, risk and unfairness (Knights and Willmott, 2006). The claims of the death of bureaucracy and the emergence of Post- bureaucracy are further debate d.Evidence of bureaucracy model is shown in George Ritzers McDonaldization. Ritzer defines McDonaldization as, the process by which the principles of the fast-food eating house are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as of the rest of the world (Ritzer, 2009, p. 4). The fast-food industry is the paradigm of McDonaldization and reflects on the instrumental demythologizedity that Weber identified. In this case, the victor of McDonalds restaurants has been noniceable up till today and is because it offers consumers, players and managers efficiency, calculability, predictability and control (Ritzer, 2009, p. 6). It provides convenience for the customer in todays fast-paced environment and customers are ensured similar taste, quantity and quality to whichever restaurant they go. McDonalds has also shown great evidence of the continuing use of Taylorism techniques for measuring, timing and evaluating work. One of the main aspects of scientific managem ent that McDonalds have utilize into their business is the Fordist management style where everyone works according to an collection line. Fordism has been called Taylorism plus the assembly line (Rosenberg, 1969).During the days of Ford Motors, Henry Ford implemented the fordist model in the car-manufacturing firm, and McDonalds have distinctly adapted this idea into their corporate culture. For example, the company has designed all of its food chain branches in such a style that employees do not have to take more than devil go to complete their task. Further evidence suggesting that Taylors ideas have been implemented would be for example, the importance of creating the best worker for the job, through the division of tasks and specialization among workers.The method in which McDonalds for example, create their hamburger is a form of deskilling and division of task, by simplification of a task first grilling the burger, putting in other ingredients, adding sauce, placing them onto bread roll and then wrapping it up. From this, a break down of job task and having separately individual to do specific steps improves efficiency. Other aspects such as cooking times, drinks dispensers and french french-fried potatoes machines are used to limit the time needed to complete a task, hence showing aspects of scientific management (Jozzo1000, 2007).Without this management style, McDonalds probably would not be in such dominant and efficient position in the market. However, the McDonaldization system has been heavily criticized. Despite the effect of Taylors scientific management on the workplace has increased productivity while replacing skilled craftsman with unskilled workers, it reduces workers to automatons. Individuals equipped with mod skills are limited to risquely simplified tasks and hence restricting them from living up to their human potential. It also assumes workers are satisfied by money alone.Frederick Herzbergs two-factor theory has successfully supported this view. Herzberg developed a theory that contradicted Taylors ideas as he developed job enrichment. Herzberg stated that there are two factors that could motivate an individual, Hygiene and Motivator. Hygiene factors once fulfilled pass on remove job dissatisfaction but will not motivate. In order to motivate, the motivation factors must be fulfilled. This goes against Taylors ideas of workers are motivated in general by salary as Herzbergs analysis proved that money is not a motivation factor (Brooks, 2009).More criticisms such as in McDonalds, tasks are repetitive and boring and hence employees are not motivated to do their job enthusiastically. Under those circumstances, it ignores the social and psychological needs of the employees, which in fact utilise powerful influences workers behaviours. However, comments drawn from employees working experiences in McDonalds stated otherwise. A crew member, Michaela said, Doing work experience at McDonalds made a big differ ence to how I approached things outside of work as well. functional on the till I learnt to make eye contact with people and speak clearly and with reliance invaluable skills. And it can be further argued that employees do feel motivated working at McDonalds. working(a) at McDonalds changed my outlook and made me a more motivated person, said Umair, a crew trainer (McDonalds Corporation, 2011). The McDonaldized system is not only seen within the fast-food industry, but also fast growing in call centres, an indication of the relevant bureaucracy model which is also known as customer-oriented bureaucracy (Du Gay, 2005, p. 98). One of the features of call centres is the focus on the standardization of the service encounter.A script is provided for call handlers to follow when talking on the phones. Supervisors regularly check on call centre staff, listen in on calls to monitor the accuracy and general performance of the call handlers which managers are in fact keeping them under con trol. Taylors idea of payment method have also been successfully implemented such as call centre staffs are given a basic wage and then commission for every sale and if they meet their daily or weekly targets, they are given additional bonuses (Health Safety Executive, 2003).The technology offered today had in fact gradually made organizations become more bureaucratic and demythologisedized. For instance, Amazon had importantly shown to be a passing structured and highly rationalized organization in todays competitive world. According to Valdez, every item is scanned and logged on computers at every stage knows who touches what (Barkham, 2011). Staff working in the warehouse is in point of fact being controlled by the technology used today, which aid to the control of managers over workers.Furthermore, the warehouse processes are simplified to prevent any human error. In short, aspects of scientific management are seen in its day-to-day warehouse operations with the aid of techn ology. According to Weber, bureaucracy is the most rational form of management. Despite the advantages bureaucracy offers such as efficiency and predictability, beneath the rational system lays the unreason of rationality. People are dehumanized as they are being treated as machine like cogs in a well-oiled machine (Kast and Rosenzweig, 1979).In addition, Instead of remaining efficient, bureaucracies can become increasingly inefficient (Ritzer, 2009, p. 29). For example the case of IKEA, in terms of efficiency, it offers one-stop furniture s skitterping with a wide range of products. Furniture exchange is unassembled, and customers are required to reassemble the parts themselves when they get home. Yet there are a variety of irrationalities associated with the rationality of IKEA, most notably the poor quality of most of its products. Although furniture is supposedly easy to assemble, legion(predicate) are more likely to think of it as impossible-to-assemble (Ritzer, 2009). Besid es the issue about irrationality of rational system, the iron cage of rationality is drawn into further concern. Weber views bureaucracy as a cage, in a sense that people are trapped in them without their basic humanity. The fear for that bureaucracy would grow more and more rational and will dominate an increasing number of sectors of society which society would in conclusion become nothing more than a seamless web of rationalized structures there would be no leak (Ritzer, 2009, p. 30).A good example will be a 30 days Europe package tour. passenger vehicle travels through only the major cities in Europe, allowing tourists to view and take pictures of sights in the time allowed and then hop on to the next city. With the rationalization of even their recreational activities, people are in fact seen to be living in the iron cage of rationality, treating themselves like machines (Ritzer, 2009). Lastly, it is argued that bureaucracy ignores the substantive rationality and do not car e about ethical motive and moral, they are about getting the task done as promptly as possible.The final solution case illustrates a good example that the bureaucratic practice made the Holocaust instrumentally rational while, not being substantively rational. Almost everyone will agree that the Holocaust practice of the massacre of a race of people is irrational, yet the fact that instrumentally rational methods could be applied to it, it exhibits the moral blindness of bureaucracy (Knights and Willmott, 2006). However, Du Gay argued otherwise. Bureaucracy do embodies an important ethic that is fairness.Such as bureaucracy does not care about employees gender or culture background but only cares about the basis of experience and qualifications since this is what will be most efficient. It is said to safeguard against discrimination. Given these points, bureaucracy embodies rather than ignore the moral and ethics (Du Gay, 2005). Indeed, bureaucracy like any other styles of manageme nt, inherently has both negative and positive effects, however few major aspects of bureaucracy and scientific management are still currently being successfully implemented in work and organizations today.Especially to those characterized by large-scale size, routine tasks and to those performance of which is essentially and vitally relies on high degree of hierarchy and formalization of bureaucratic form. Furthermore, the advancement in technology aid in the aspects of victimization scientific management in organizations today. Good examples will the fast-food industry and manufacturing industry. Nevertheless, in todays highly competitive business industry, organizations need to increase their level of effectiveness through innovation and motivation of its employees at all levels.In order to handle the growing market demand for constant innovation, a reduction of management structure might be necessary. Yet the core features of bureaucracy such as formalization, hierarchy, rules, staff expertise, conformation and clear accountability remain without doubt essential for organizations to deal with increasing competition. Therefore, to conclude, the classical school has withstood the test of time as it is still relevant to work and organization today. (2200 words) References Adler, Paul S. (1999) Building Better Bureaucracies. honorary society of Management Executive, 13(4), pp. 6-49. Barkham, Patrick (2011) Amazon warehouse gears up for Christmas rush on Cyber Monday. 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