Question

many organizations now operate with just a few levels of management and a dispersed workforce. Which classical management ideas do or do not have value in such settings? Please provide examples.

Answer 1

The classical management ideas that do not have value in the current organizations which operate with just a few levels of management and a dispersed workforce include -

1. Hierarchical structure - The classical management theory divides the workplace into three levels of management which includes - Top management who set long-term objectives, Middle management who implement the strategies, oversee the supervisors and set department level hoals, Supervisors who manage the day-to-day activities.

But, current organizations have reduced the number of levels of management ensuring easy and quick communication while encouraging ideas from the employees. Current managers carry additional roles and responsibilities as opposed to the classical theory.

2. Specialization - As per the classical management theory, the work needs to be divided among employees as per their skill and specialization. This helps the workers understand their roles thus increasing the productivity of employees and the efficiency of the processes.

But, the current organizations have been assigining more responsibilities to the workers than they actually are specialized in.