The history of the development of management science includes several main schools: scientific management, classical (or administrative), quantitative management methods, as well as a school of behavioral sciences and human relations.
The classical school of management basically continues the first independent school in the science of leadership, a scientific one, the main idea of which is to develop scientific principles and methods that can best organize work and maximize labor productivity. In other words, the school of scientific management in management considered the improvement of the work process to be its primary task.
The classical (administrative) school of management that we are considering, which in general developed the ideas of the previous direction, was more oriented toward developing the principles of direct management itself, therefore, not the production workers, namely the managers, are its brightest representatives. The founder of the school, Henri Fayolle was the head of a large French company, the work of his main followers was also related to the highest level of administrative management. Their ideas were based largely not on scientific methodology, but on personal experience.
Basic principles of the classical school of management
The classical school of management has created a system of universal principles related to two aspects. One of them is a rational management system that combines different business functions: production, finance and marketing. The second aspect relates to the construction of the organization and management structure .
Henri Fayolem formulated 14 management principles applicable to the management of all types of organizations and providing an efficient workflow:
• The principle of the division of labor implies that, by reducing the number of goals, it is possible to do more work while improving its quality, provided that the forces aimed at performing this work remain the same. A large number of goals, according to Fayol, prevents the employee from concentrating on the main task, scatters his attention and wastes his efforts.
• Authority and responsibility: the first gives the right to issue an order, the second - to execute it.
• Discipline implies adherence to the agreement between employees and the organization on both sides equally.
• One-man management: a specific employee reports strictly to one immediate supervisor.
• Unity of direction: each group is united by one goal, must have a common plan and one leader.
• The principle of subordination of personal interests to the general implies that the interests of any one employee are subordinate to the interests of the group.
• Ensuring fair staff compensation supports responsible workers.
• Centralization: the right balance between decentralization and centralization must meet certain conditions.
• The classical school of management has ambiguously defined its attitude to the scalar chain of the hierarchical system of leadership positions (from top to lowest level). On the one hand, the scalar chain in most cases justifies itself, on the other hand, you need to be able to refuse it if it causes damage to the enterprise.
• Order.
• The principle of justice combines kindness and justice.
• Workplace stability for workers always benefits the organization.
• The initiative involves the development of a plan and its implementation.
• Corporate spirit enhances work efficiency.
The classical school of management has made a great contribution to the theoretical development of management.
But such aspects as psychology, behavioral and other factors were not taken into account when constructing the concept, which prevents us from considering the management system created by the school as unconditionally effective.