Arrange the following phases in the evolution of management thought in the order in which they developed:
(A) Organisational behaviourists used the knowledge of psychology, sociology and anthropology to develop an approach to management.
(B) Research on operations and quantitative techniques were used to aid managers in taking decisions.
(C) The Hawthorne Studies were conducted, and attention turned to the social needs, drives and attitudes of employees.
(D) Organisations came to be seen as complex systems, and the contingency approach was used.
(E) Scientific management sought one best way of production, and administrative theorists the best way to combine jobs and people.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (E), (C), (A), (B), (D)
(E) Scientific management sought one best way of production, and administrative theorists the best way to combine jobs and people. — First. This is the classical phase, the earliest of these five phases; only the early perspectives came before it. Taylor looked for one best way of production, and Fayol for the best way to combine jobs and people into an efficient organisation.
(C) The Hawthorne Studies were conducted, and attention turned to the social needs, drives and attitudes of employees. — Second. This is the human relations approach of the neo-classical school, from the 1920s to the 1950s. It found that workers are guided by social needs too, not only by rules and pay.
(A) Organisational behaviourists used the knowledge of psychology, sociology and anthropology to develop an approach to management. — Third. The attention to the human factor led on to the behavioural science approach, also called organisational humanism. Argyris, McGregor, Maslow and Herzberg built it.
(B) Research on operations and quantitative techniques were used to aid managers in taking decisions. — Fourth. Management science or operational research came after the behavioural approach. It used research on operations and numbers to help managers decide.
(D) Organisations came to be seen as complex systems, and the contingency approach was used. — Fifth. Modern management is the latest phase. It sees organisations as complex systems and uses modern techniques to solve their problems.
NCERT (2026-27 Edition): “Evolution of Management Principles … In tracing the history of management, one comes across various schools of thought that have outlined principles to guide management practices. These schools of thought may be divided into 6 distinctive phases: “Evolution of Management Principles … CLASSICAL MANAGEMENT THEORY Rational economic view, scientific management, administrative principles, and bureaucratic organisation characterise this phase. While the rational economic view assumed that people are motivated by economic gains primarily; scientific management of F.W. Taylor and others emphasised one best way of production etc; administrative theorists personified by Henri Fayol etc looked at the best way to combine jobs and people into an efficient organisation; bureaucratic organisation theorists led by Max Weber looked at ways to eliminate managerial inconsistencies due to abuse of power which contributed to ineffectiveness. …” “Evolution of Management Principles … NEO CLASSICAL THEORY — HUMAN RELATIONS APPROACH This school of thought developed between 1920s to 1950s felt that employees simply do not respond rationally to rules, chains of authority and economic incentives alone but are also guided by social needs, drives and attitudes. Hawthorne Studies at GEC etc., were conducted then. It was quite natural that in the early phases of the industrial revolution, the emphasis was on development of techniques and technology. The attention to the human factor was the salient aspect of this school of thought. This attention was to serve as a precursor to the development of behavioural sciences. BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCE APPROACH — ORGANISATIONAL HUMANISM Organisational behaviourists like Chris Argyris; Douglas McGregor, Abraham Maslow and Fredrick Herzberg used the knowledge of psychology, sociology and anthropology to develop this approach. The underlying philosophy of organisational humanism is that individuals need to use all of their capacities and creative skills at work as well as at home. MANAGEMENT SCIENCE/OPERATIONAL RESEARCH It emphasises research on operations and use of quantitative techniques to aid managers to take decisions. MODERN MANAGEMENT It sees modern organisations as complex systems and underlies contingency approach and use of modern techniques to solve organisational and human problems.” |