Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper that reviews the various eras of management theory discussed in this class, describes their key insights, and explains why those insights are important.
List your references according to APA guidelines, including links to any websites or online articles your paper refers to.
Hints:
You may want to address the following eras of management theory. You do not have to answer all of the following questions, but you may want to consider them as you think about your paper and answer the ones you believe are most important or interesting.
The Early Need for Management
- Why did the need for management develop?
- What important business lessons can we take away from studying the development of national railroads?
- What challenges resulted from the growth of large national business after the Civil War?
The Scientific Management Era
- What was scientific management? Why was it considered scientific?
- What is one key idea or theory of this era? What management problem did it try to explain or solve?
- What new questions were raised during this era?
The Social Person Era
- Why was it necessary to begin studying “the human factor” after an era of scientific management?
- What were the era’s biggest challenges, and what attempts were made to resolve them?
- Why were the Hawthorne studies conducted, and why were they so important?
The Modern Era
- Each era had its own “big-picture” problem or challenge. What is the big-picture problem of this era?
- How did management theory change in this era?
- What were Peter Drucker’s contributions to management theory and why were they important?
- What do you think will be the next major idea or theory of management? What problem will it attempt to explain or solve.
