Exploring Key Management Theories: Taylor, Fayol, and Weber's Impact

This essay delves into the core tenets of three influential management theories: Fredrick Taylor's scientific management, Henri Fayol's principles of management, and Max Weber's bureaucratic theory. Taylor's theory emphasizes efficiency through task specialization, worker training, and performance monitoring, while Fayol's approach focuses on the overall management process, outlining 14 principles for effective organizational structure and leadership. Weber's bureaucratic theory introduces a hierarchical structure, emphasizing rules and regulations for efficient resource allocation and worker protection. The essay explores the components, applications, benefits, and limitations of each theory, offering a comparative analysis of their relevance and applicability in the modern business environment. The discussion highlights how these classical theories continue to shape contemporary management practices, with considerations for their strengths and weaknesses in addressing modern organizational challenges.

Running head: MANAGEMENT THEORIES 1
Management Theories
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Table of Contents
Fredrick Taylor management theory
Components of Taylor’s theory
Application of Taylor’s Theory
Henri Fayol management theory
14 principles by Fayol
Bureaucratic theory by Max Weber
Features of Bureaucracy
Benefits of bureaucracy
Limitations of bureaucracy
Application of bureaucracy
References

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Fredrick Taylor management theory
The scientific management theory that was developed by Fredrick Taylor also referred to
as the classical management theory focuses on efficiency and is similar to Max Weber’s theory
(Krenn, 2018). Conversely, as per Taylor’s opinion, employers should be on the frontline
rewarding employees for increased productivity as opposed to scolding such workers for every
minor mistake made. Taylor once said, “the primary objective of management should be to
safeguard the optimal prosperity for the employer coupled, with optimal prosperity for each
employee.” The context in which optimal prosperity has been used means not only huge profits
for the proprietor or company but also the progress of every department of the enterprise to the
highest degree of excellence such that prosperity is permanent (Krenn, 2018). Though the theory
facilitates the development of efficient employees, it has its flaws. Most of these subtasks are
menial making workers feel as if they are part of an assembly line as opposed to the innovative
additions they make in their teams. However, the concept of productivity is a valuable
consequence of this practice and with regards to the kind of industry, the theory could be a great
asset to modern businesses.
Taylor’s theory encompasses four main areas.
Assignments are broken down into subtasks
As opposed to assigning the whole project to one individual and allowing such an
individual adequate time to complete the task, managers divide the larger tasks into smaller tasks
(Krenn, 2018). The subtasks are aimed at making the process look more organized and efficient

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as there are multiple workers working on one project with each worker taking charge of their
piece.
Responsibilities are delegated and workers are trained
The executives evaluate that the most efficient method of accomplishing a given task is to
delegate subtasks only to workers that have the relevant skills and abilities. Such workers are
then trained by management. The roles played by workers in this context tend to be specific and
fixed and their tasks are routine and basic. In most times, workers feel insignificant as they
complete the same task hours on daily basis. However, according to Taylor, each employee plays
a vital role in ensuring the success of the company.
Monitoring of performance
It is the responsibility of supervisors to ensure that each employee under them perform
their duties efficiently and in the process, if a more productive process gets discovered,
employees are retrained to implement the practice in their work (Krenn, 2018). Incentives in this
context are high as employees repeat the same mundane chores. Employees here are motivated to
deliver quality work since they are rewarded financially with regards to their performance. The
more efficient employees are, the higher their wages are set.
Work allocation between the managers and workers
Most enterprises have different categories of employees ranging from supervisors to part-
timers. Typically, the level of experience and the drive of employees are the prerequisites for
landing in an executive position. Taylor had the belief in an identical hierarchy of three ranks
where the most powerful employees were ranked top. Each level in this scenario is assigned
exact responsibilities with detailed guidelines that are specific to each level. Workers on lower

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levels respect and adhere those that are above them and only perform duties that are assigned to
them.
Compatibility of Taylor’s theory in the modern business world
The selection, workers’ benefits, training, and motivation are components that are
relevant to managing people in the current environment and are a primary contribution from
Taylor’s theory (Krenn, 2018). They are still applicable to businesses today and have been the
center stage of every management platform. However, the use and applicability of Taylorism can
be utilized in business environments of today where the majority of the labor force have soft
skills. An organization of current generation is primarily into automation and runs on creative
ideas and logical thinking. For example, the stock prices depict that Apple Inc. outshines
Microsoft at change management. The motives behind the stunning change of game were
revealed to be a failure of imagination and lack of execution at Microsoft Corporation. Steve
Jobs once said that if a company aspires and wants to have great employees, the managers have
to let the employees make decisions and the manager has to run by ideas and not hierarchy. It is
the best ideas that win and make the good people stay in the company. Such innovative ideas and
ideological thinking can be measured on physical weights. They need to be identified and
examined on human aspects and one cannot evaluate such aspects using Taylorism.
The scientific study that was conducted by Taylor of tasks was to facilitate
standardization of work and to overcome the inefficiency of employees that was witnessed on a
daily basis. However, as of today, the corporate world embraces standardization of work for a
position and is almost developed in most companies in the world and workers are given a chance
and choice of adapting and utilizing their set of skills to their optimal level to attain the set goals
and objectives of the organization.

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The division of jobs has been attributed to establishing environments that are hierarchical
oriented. Though employees and managers are made to concentrate and focus on specific tasks, it
has been linked to reducing the development of the organization to accommodate new ideas. The
current business world craves for workers that practice and embrace the art of multitasking and
have the zeal to inculcate new technologies and eliminate workers who perform single jobs.
Application of Taylor’s theory
The remuneration of an employee in an IT company is different compared to a worker in
the manufacturing industry. The Human resource of an IT company strives at retaining the
employees due to the unique set of skills they possess thus a good pay in terms of salaries and
bonuses is guaranteed. However, in a manufacturing sector, there is less focus on growth and
development of one’s career.
Another perfect illustration is the Johnson & Johnson. The company has standardized
most of its operations and the process aspect has been centralized. For instance, the Research and
Development activities manage operations as a unit research portfolio. Also, the sales and
manufacturing processes are managed in a decentralized manner to facilitate decision making
that is tailored to suit the specific requirements and product’s dimensions.
Henri Fayol’s Management theory
The management theory by Fayol is a simple framework of the way management
associates with personnel (Bhasin, 2017). The management theory by Henri Fayol encompasses
concepts in a vast way such that any business can integrate his theory of management. As of
today, the business fraternity prioritizes Fayol’s classical management theory as an application
guide to managing the staff productively.

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The management theory by Henri Fayol entails 14 principles of management. It is from
these principles that Fayol came up with a conclusion that it is the responsibility for the
management to interact with the staff in five primary ways to facilitate control and plan for
production. The scientific paradigm paved way to strict adherence to the procedures in which
planning and control were now in the hands of managers and employees had no liberty at work.
It also facilitated breaking-up of labor due to its focus on division of labor. Many of the aspects
of human labor were ignored and led to the onset of monotony and repetitive tasks.
The 14 management principles by Henri Fayol
Division of labor
Tasks should be proportioned among employees and teams to enhance that endeavor and
attention are concentrated to unique segments of the task (UK Essays, 2017). According to
Fayol, specialization of work is the best strategy to utilize labor in a given organization.
Authority
The ideologies of authority and responsibility are interlinked closely. Fayol defined
authority as the freedom to give commands and the power to influence obedience. On the other
hand, responsibility entails accountability and is thus naturally linked to authority. It is thus
obvious that whoever has authority also commands responsibility.
Discipline
An organization that is deemed successful needs the common endeavor by employees.
The applicability of penalties should be administered judiciously to promote this common effort.
Unity of command

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Employees are entitled to receive orders from only one manager.
Unity of direction
The whole organization should aspire to move towards a specific set objective in a unilateral
direction.
Subordination of interests that are personal to general interests
Individual’s interests should not crowd and take control of the interests of the organization.
Remuneration
The pay of worker is commensurate with variables such as the standards of living, the
qualifications of the personnel, success, and growth of the enterprise among other factors.
Centralization
Centralization according to Fayol can be defined as eliminating the need for a
subordinate position. However, decentralization, on the other hand, is gaining relevance and
importance. The extent to which adoption of centralization and decentralization should be
embraced relies on a particular enterprise in which the manager is leading.
Scalar chain
Hierarchical managers are part of the chain such as authority scale. Managers right from
the division of a supervisor to the president exercise certain levels of authority. Most of the
authority is possessed by the president whereas the division supervisor has the least authority.
Managers at lower levels are tasked with informing managers positioned in higher levels of their
activities in the workplace. One of the factors that facilitate the success of the organization is the
adherence to the scalar chain.

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Order
In order to facilitate efficiency and coordination in an organization, then all inputs and
employees that are to perform a particular kind of work are to be treated with utmost respect and
equally.
Equity
All workers are to be treated equally with no special favors for some of the employees.
Security of tenure
One of the highest priority for the managers should be to embrace and employees that are
productive through retention. The costs associated with retention and staff recruitment coupled
with product-reject is primarily associated with recruiting new employees.
Initiative
It is the duty of management to take initiative to promote employee initiative that is
defined as additional work task that is undertaken with regards to self-direction.
Espirit de corps
Management should promote harmony and good relations among its workers.
Bureaucratic theory of management by Max Weber
The theory of bureaucratic management by Max Weber entails two primary elements
entailing structuring an enterprise into a hierarchy and establishing rules that are well defined to
facilitate the governing of an institution and its members (Virtual Learning Environment, 2018).
Max Weber was a sociologist from Germany and developed a theory to run an organization in a

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mode that is effectively known as bureaucratic management methodology. However, Weber’s
work is sometimes translated as a caricature of current bureaucracies with their limitations.
However, it was beyond that. The work of Weber was recognized for displacing the ancient
institutional structures of the period of industrialization. Weber discovered varying traits in
bureaucracies that would facilitate the concept of decision making, regulation of resources and
safeguarding the interests of workers. Weber outlined six fundamentals of bureaucratic
management theory.
The features of Bureaucratic Management
Division of Labor
Work is to be divided into tasks that are specialized and each worker is assigned tasks
according to their specializations in a manner that is predictable (Caramela, 2018). This is the
case as each worker has the required skills and qualifications needed for a particular task. There
is a high possibility of division of work in both levels that entail administration and operations in
a bureaucratic institution.
Rules and Regulations
The operating procedures that control activities of an organization provide stability and
enhance coordination (Caramela, 2018). The prescribed procedures are designed to facilitate
consistency and work performance predictability. It entails utilizing fixed adherence to the
established standard rules that have been vetted and prescribed by the administration at the top
level for uniformity in decision making and acting as receptacles of learning, for eliminating
incumbents and for ensuring fairness and equality in the workplace.
Clearly defined jobs

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Weber was of the notion that responsibilities are to be delegated based on the set of skills
and ability. According to Weber, flexible roles are to be eliminated. Rather, workers should be
aware of their workplace responsibilities and are mandated to stick to them. Employees acting
beyond the designated roles may disrupt the order of authority. As such collaboration, innovation
of ideas and pitching of ideas is strongly discouraged. Hierarchy, on the other hand, promotes
power distribution among employees. Employees that have most power are ranked top and
employees that are classified lowest should report to those above them. Workers are obliged to
respect their supervisors and be clear not to cross the line.
Meticulous record-keeping
Weber demonstrated that leaders should develop the habit of note-taking on every
position, event or function that entails the company (Caramela, 2018). In such a manner, the
managers can always refer to the notes later and resolve any issues arising. For example,
managers are encouraged to record responsibility for each role in the company to avoid any
future misunderstandings. Additionally, employees should maintain a track of the hours they
have worked for and keep a record of their assignments and development on a daily basis.
Managers are at liberty to have knowledge of how workers are utilizing or wasting their time.
Hiring based on particular qualifications
Weber valued the ideal candidates that had the exact set of skills needed for a position as
such a candidate guaranteed the best results. Such high standards are possible by eliminating
instance of nepotism and favoritism. If an individual is not qualified, they are not worth for the
position. Having a candidate that gets along with others does not translate that they are suited for

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the job. The decision to hire should rely on the experience and required a set of skills by the
candidate.
Work-appropriate associations
Weber never condoned development of any kind of personal relations in organizations.
Weber supported the idea that all relationships based on work were defined by set rules and
regulations (Caramela, 2018). According to Weber, small talks and collaborations are not to be
tolerated as work is work and not a social stuff.
Staffing
The individuals employed in an organization have a relationship with the employer that is
contractual. Job tenure, in this case, is defined by a set of rules and regulations that are framed
within a company. Salary, in this case, is determined by the nature of job assigned and the length
of service.
Application of bureaucracy
Authority as one of the traits in bureaucracy particularly hierarchy of command is evident
in armies and police institutions where the organization is a hierarchy that is continuous and each
level is under the control of level above it. Each position in the hierarchy prevails by its right and
job holders in this context have no exclusive rights to a specific position. Responsibilities at each
level are well defined and each level has its sphere of qualifications. The appointment to serve in
an office and the degree of authority that accompanies it rests on technical competence. The
positive repercussion of hierarchy authority is that it defines and distinguishes the person in
command. However, the negative implication of hierarchy of command to particular workers is
that it limits workers from generating ideas and decisions to the organization. Also, it provides