business.com receives compensation from some of the companies listed on this page. Advertising Disclosure

Home

Classical and Scientific Management Theory Basics

Kelley Keith
Oct 31, 2011

Utilize the tenants of classical and scientific management theory basics to improve operations

While classical and scientific management theories come from generally the same school of business thought, there are some distinct differences within the subgroups. First, there's classical scientific management theory which concentrates on the efficiency of the individual worker. Secondly, you have classical administrative that focuses on the organization rather than the individual worker within. Each have their merits but are also over 100 years old and can have deficiencies in today’s technologically advanced workplace. However, that doesn't mean that the theories are outdated by any means. You just need to use them as supplements and not a primary or sole management strategy.

To understand and implement the classical and scientific management theory basics, you need to know the basis and the pros and cons of the theories. Once you have the basics down, it'll reduce process procedure problems during implementation. Therefore, before you institute any of the policies there are a few items to consider:

1. Know the origins of classical and scientific management theory.

2. Understand the pros and cons of scientific and classical management theory.

3. Study cases and examples of scientific and classical management theories.

Examine the tenants of classical and scientific management theory

Any theory, no matter what the application, won't work if you don't understand the basis on which it's built. One of the basic differences between the two are classical focuses on management and scientific on methods to accomplish good business management.
Scientific Management theory. Then, examine the comparison of the two types of management in this article on the Classical Schools of Management.

Be sure you know the pros and cons of classical theory in business

There's no single management theory that you'll be able to apply to every situation and have it work. For instance, the classical school of management relies on the experience of management more than other theories. This is fine if your staff is mature. However, you'll need to adjust the theory application for inexperienced staff members.

Use case studies and real world examples to understand scientific and classical school of management

A proper knowledge base can't be obtained without seeing how theories apply to situations that you'll experience on the job. Case studies and critiques are a great way to accomplish this.
  • Classical theory of management or any style of management is contingent on the employees to which you apply it. Be sure that the theory you choose will work correctly with your staff before making any changes.
Image Credit: Prostock-Studio / Getty Images
Kelley Keith