Organization and Management (Section A)

Thank you, Kay, Nice and Kirose.

It is remarkable how the classical perspective of management still remains relevant to this day. It still has strong influences on modern operations and process improvements withstanding technological advancements.
While this type of management increased productivity and efficiency, I find this the least humane of all the types of management. It disregards the human elements like the needs and desires of the employees in the workplace, even reduces employment opportunities and workers may feel exploited. We are already in the 4th industrial revolution with better and faster technology allowing companies to perform more efficiently, this growth also demands for a more adept workforce that can keep up with these developments.
Perhaps adapting other types of management (those that are more people/employee-centered) along with a clear management structure of the classical management can improve the conditions in the workplace.
Thanks again - Tere :)

Hello Kay, Nice and Kirose! Thank you for that comprehensive presentation on the impact of the industrial revolution on organizational management.
Indeed, organizational management has changed significantly because of the industrial revolution. As mentioned in your presentation, the industrial revolution brought extraordinary change to the workplace and to the dynamics of organizations and has transformed the way companies and organizations operate and function. And in order to be successful in achieving the goals of the organization, leaders and managers had to find ways and innovative ways to motivate members/workers to perform and meet goals and demands in terms of productivity. For an organization to be successful and meet goals, leaders/managers were always searching for innovative techniques and scientific methods to meet the company’s needs such as standardization of equipment, time and motion study etc. It was also because of the industrial revolution that many organizational theories were conceptualized to better understand the relationship between individuals working together and the effect on the overall performance of the organization. These concepts are still very relevant and essential up to this day such the utility of division of labor, detailed job description, structured and documented roles and procedures, merit system, concept of forming committees and formal and documented communications that serve as guides for managers and workers.

Thank you Kay, Nice, and Kirose for your presentation that vividly showed how an organization is established to move towards a collective goal. The progress towards industrialization led to focus on the collective workers such as the factory, rather than the individual or cottage industries. Others also reported that through conformity, an organization “enhances the predictability of human action and reduces behavioral alternatives”, in pursuit of a collective goal. The classical organization theory can be seen as mechanical, rigorous, and a closed system; reflecting the 1900s.
Another basis for the classical theory is its standardized practices; wherein there is only one way of doing a procedure. This is also in stark constrast with systems theory, that promotes equifinality and alternate possibilities of achieving tasks. But of course, in the setting of limited resources, standardized protocols can be vital to sustain organizations.
In my opinion, just like human evolution, organizational structures also evolve to reflect the present needs. Back then, there was still no internet and transportation is still not as developed; hence promoting organized closed systems. Now that we are pushing to being connected virtually to everyone and industries are now focused on technology, a new organizational theory might also be developed in organizing big data, virtual offices, and online classrooms.

Hello Kay, Nice & Kirose -- thank you for this video. Whenever I watch documentaries about this era, I often imagine what life was like for the ordinary worker. It must have been terrible for them, like the scene of Fantine in the factory in Les Miserables, or Nicole Kidman & the foreman in Far & Away. With the rise of machines, "little" people were also seen as cogs and gears. Labor unrest was inevitable. What's even sadder is that people still cling to these practices today. Although on paper, the classical theory makes sense like a math equation, it forgets the most important variable which is the human element.

Thank you Kay,Nice and Kirose for introducing the Industrial Revolution and how it has brought about classical organizational theory. Technology advancement such invention of machines to mass produce goods improved productivity and lowered cost, and in effect increased consumer demand, thereby a greater need for more factories and workers. Managers then found way to increase workers’ productivity and efficiency without really into ways on how to improved workers’ condition. I coined the word “workers” because I felt that was how employees were treated back then - like machines in factories. The application of classical organization theory per see seems inhumane, but this approach still does exist in our modern times — that can be seen in organizations with top management demanding employees’ increased productivity and higher efficiency without taking into consideration their career advancement, needs, work environment, etc. I think it finds its relevance in providing a clear hierarchical structure, a clearly defined division of labor and autocratic leadership approach among organizations.