Management Theories and the Workplace

Management Theories and the Workplace

Stephanie Lopez

MGT/521

September 19, 2016

Daniel Martin

Management Theories and the Workplace

Management theories began over a century ago and are still being studied and used to this day. Organizational leaders are continuing to evolve and find what strategy to implement into their workforce to produce the greatest results of productivity. Not only is it important to have a successful business and have the right people to manage the business, it is equally important to have employees who are engaged and wanting to do their job well.  An ideal situation for an organization should be to lead the business prominently and at the same time lead staff to work profoundly as they are rewarded not only by the compensation they receive but also in the work they produce.

Management Theories in My Current Work Environment

The insurance industry I work in is very large. Our company alone is located in several different states and employs thousands of people. There are several managers and levels of managers throughout. Two management theories that are commonly used in my department are the Y theory and the behavioral management theory. Our text book states “The Y Theory assumes that workers are not inherently lazy, do not dislike work, and, if given the opportunity, will do what is good for the organization. The behavioral management theory is defined as the study of how managers should personally behave to motivate employees and encourage them to perform at high levels and be committed to achieving organizational goals.” (Jones, 2016, p. 47, 49)

In regards to the Y theory my coworkers and I choose to work hard and are self motivated; we work well together, just as well independently, and we make sure to always produce the best results possible. If we feel it could be better or if there is something missing we will ask for a time extention or do whatever possible to gather everything we need before the deadline. We are a great team of individuals who are personality wise different and yet carry the same attitude about our job; it comes natural as anything else we do on a regular basis.  Behavioral wise our management team strives to make sure we know we are valued and motivated. They work with us as a team, they ask for our opinions and take them into consideration on any project or assignment. They strive to make us feel appreciated at all costs and we are always ready to set new goals and attack them.  

Management Theories of the Past

Management theories have evolved as our economy has evolved. Today we take on the organizational environment theory which looks directly at the outside world and directly at what our competitors are doing. We have taken on the contingency approach which is “The idea that the organizational structures and control systems managers choose depend on (are contingent on) characteristics of the external environment in which the organization operates” (Jones, 2016, p.53). One environmental factor is external competition. Managers have to ask themselves what can our organization do to match our competitors, and what do we need to do to keep up or surpass them? Some of the largest technology companies like Apple have to keep up with changes and quickly adapt and implement the newest technology to keep their consumers coming back and looking for the next big thing.