Theories Of Frederick Weber And General Administrative Theory

This assignment discusses the applicability of the ideas of scientific management theory by Frederick Taylor and general administrative theory by Max Weber in today’s organisations and managements. These theories have been constantly debated on whether their theories are still applicable to modern management in various countries, typically in the USA. Our research stance is partially agree which means agree but not completely agree to the extent that Taylor’s theory is more relevant in today’s organisations as his theory includes the mental aspects for workers. Gupta (2000) believes ‘every worker has a potential for development’. Nevertheless, Weber’s theory apportions a management system which is based on standardized procedures and a clear

According to Wasim (2011), he claims Weber’s theory is limited in its application as it is idealistic and irrational and lacking the informal organisation. The inefficiencies of Weber’s theory with its idealistic nature is a threat to the democratic norms that governs the American community. The excessive reliance on rules and regulations inhibit the growth of employees as they are treated as working machines and not like individuals, there is a neglect of human factor. In dealing with people, the impersonal approach cannot be adapted because people have feelings, emotions and sentiments which affects decision. Therefore, people cannot work totally according to Weber’s theory of excessive rules and regulations. The hierarchy of organisation in Weber’s theory is system of various positions from top to bottom of the organisation. In this movement, the informal elements such as human relationships and emotions are not given the attention required in the functions of the organisations (Wasim, 2011). The orders pass from one worker to another worker without regard who is more capable or rather better, without the element of human emotions within Weber’s theory. Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, and Coulter (2015) has stated that many current managers feel that bureaucracy’s theory on strict division of labour, adherence to formal rules and regulations, the impersonal application of rules and controls removes the individual worker’s creativity, thus, limiting the organisation’s stability to respond speedily to an increasing progressive environment. The formal structure of organisation in Weber’s theory is an impersonal approach as it does not regard the human