Modern Schools of Management Thought

      Modern management theory is currently in the schools phase. Three schools of management thought are management process, quantitative, and behavioral.

     The management process, or classical, school traces its ancestry to Fayol. One of its major tenets is that by analyzing management along functional lines, a framework can be constructed into which all new management concepts can be placed. This framework consists of a process of interrelated functions such as planning, organizing, and controlling. Another belief of the process school is that management principles can be derived through an analysis of managerial functions. A third tenet is that the basic management functions are performed by all managers, regardless of enterprise, activity, or hierarchical level. Additionally, the process school stresses the development of a management philosophy.

     The quantitative, or management science, school consists of theorists who see management as a system of mathematical models and processes. Relying heavily on the application of scientific analysis to managerial problems, economic effectiveness criteria, and the use of computers adherents of this school have promoted understanding of the need to goal formulation and the measurement of performance.

     The behavioral school consists of two branches: interpersonal behavior and group behavior. The former is heavily psychological in orientation; the latter is heavily sociological. While this school lacks the type of framework used by management process advocates, it does not lack structure. However, there is a major difference in method Instead of working from functions to activities and principles, as the management process advocates do, the behaviorists work in the opposite direction. They start with human behavior research and build up to topics or functions.

     Today there is no unified theory of management. Several reasons can be cited, among them semantics, differing definitions of management, and lack of research. Advocates of each school claim that the others have serious flaws. The process school is seen as being too static; the quantitative school is seen as a series of useful tools but not a school; the behaviorists are attacked as failing to see the total picture.

     It is still unclear whether the three schools will ever be synthesized. For this reason, the student of management is well advised to, understand all three.