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AdministrativeThinkersAnIntroduction|DesiKanoonALawBlogfromIndiaonInternationalTrade,WTO,ConstitutionalLawandOtherthings

27thNovember2012 AdministrativeThinkersAn
Introduction

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AdministrativeThinkers

IwillstartwithmynotesonAdministrativeThinkers.

Every organization is associated with a phenomenon called administration.

Thestatewillbecomesuccessfulonlywhentheadministrationisgood.The
goalofthestateissocietyitself.Hence,administrationassumescriticalityina
state. State is considered to be a deliberately created institution in order to
achievethegoalsofthesociety.
Thestudyrelatingtopublicadministrationhasbeentakingplacefromquite
some time. In the due course of time, there have come up a number of
crystallized ideas. These ideas explain what, why and when of good
governmentadministration.
There have been hundreds of individual efforts in this subject. They can be
dividedintothreebroadcategories.
ClassicalClassicalgrouphastriedtoexplainthisphenomenonbyfocusing
on 2 Ms (Machine and Method). They have focused on the nonliving or
inanimateaspectoftheorganization.
a.ScientificManagementTaylor
b.AdministrativeManagementHenryFayol,Gulick&Urwick
c.WeberianMaxWeber
Humanistic Bernard, Herbert Simon, McGregor, Chris Argyris, Likert
HumanistGrouphastriedtoexplainthisphenomenonbyfocusingonMan
i.e.thelivingortheanimateaspectoftheorganization.
Contemporary Systems Approach and Contingency Approach
Contemporarygroupfocusesoneveryaspectoftheorganizationincludingthe
surroundingsortheenvironment.
OtherTheorists
Folett (This theorist is considered to be a link between classical and
humanisticschoolofthought)
Mayo(InitiatedHumanisticTheorybutsomehowheisnotconsideredtobein
thehumanisticschoolofthought)

Every organization has a number of individuals. They carry certain

responsibilities and at the same time they also exercise power. But, all the
individuals do not have same amount of responsibility or same amount of
power.Responsibilityandpoweraredirectlyproportionaltoeachother.This
makesanorganization,alayeredorganizationorhierarchy.
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AdministrativeThinkersAnIntroduction|DesiKanoonALawBlogfromIndiaonInternationalTrade,WTO,ConstitutionalLawandOtherthings

In most of the organizations, we will find that at the lower level, more
numbers of individuals are present. As we move to the higher layers, the
numbersofindividualsgoondecreasing.Thus,organizationsarenormallyin
apyramidalform.
Everyorganizationcomprisesof3Ms.
MachineStructureoftheorganization(designorshape)
Method Process, procedure, tools or techniques through which the
organizationoperates.
ManTheorganizationoperatesthroughhumanbeings.
ScientificManagementMovement
Managementistheartofgettingthingsdone.
Therehavebeentwoimportanteventsinhistorywhichinfluencedthenature
oftheorganizationsandorganizationalmanagement.
th
Enlightenment(Renaissance16 Century)Thiswastheerawherethere
was restlessness and rejection pertaining to control of church, irrationality,
superstitions, unscientific approaches, feudalism, monarchies etc. This era
brought new concepts such as rule of law, sovereignty, democracy,
citizenship,science,justice,equality,rationalityetc.Thesedevelopmentshad
adeepimpactonthenatureofthestate.Thereby,itaffectedandincreasedthe
sizeandoperationsofthestate.Theresponsibilitiesofthestateincreasedand
acquiredapositivecharacter.
Democracyisaspiritualconceptbecauseitenshrinesasocietywherepeople
canlivealifeofdignityandchoice.
IndustrialRevolution(17thand18thCentury)Itreplacedthehandswith
machines. The production increased manifolds. They organizations became
largerandmorecomplexinnature.Thestyleofmanagementwhichwereused
pre industrial revolution continued post industrial revolution as well. This
createdincongruencebetweenthenatureofmanagementandtherequirements
of the organizations. This led to failure, malfunctioning and inefficiency of
theorganizations.Thisworriedalargenumberofmanagementpractitioners.

Therewasaconcernregardingthefailureoftheorganizations.Theyrequired
atypeofresponsewhichwasnotavailableatthatpointoftime.Thisconcern
was more visible in the context of the functionaries or practitioners of the
privateindustrialorganizations.Fewoftheimportantnamesbeing
CharlesBabbage
R.H.Towne
Metcalfe
Halsey
Gantt
Gilbreth
Taylor
F.W. Taylor assumes importance in this regard. He is considered to be the
father of scientific management. All of the above agreed that as far as
organizationalmanagementisconcerned,itshouldbebasedonthescienceof
management.Andthisscienceofmanagementshouldbereplacingtherule
ofthumb.
Rule of Thumb It refers to an approach towards work which is based on
limited experience and limited memory being devoid of scientism,
professionalismandrationalism.
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AdministrativeThinkersAnIntroduction|DesiKanoonALawBlogfromIndiaonInternationalTrade,WTO,ConstitutionalLawandOtherthings

ScienceofManagementItreferstoasystematizedstudyofthepartofthe
reality in order to develop cause consequence relationship of that reality.
Management should be based on scientific approach and not memory and
experienceoradhocism.Itreferstowardsascientificapproachtounderstand
andexplainmanagement.
This idea became popular and acceptable to the extent that almost all the
organizations (private and public) started emphasizing on science of
management. It created an environment called as Scientific Management
Movement.ScientcisminManagementbecamepopular.
Posted27thNovember2012bySuyashVerma
Labels:AdministrativeThinkers,PublicAdministration
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