Communication and
Management
Theory
Understanding the
Connections
Why Study Management
Theories or Paradigms?
They form the basis of how managers
manage
 Mgmt. theories are theories of human
behavior
 Mgmt. theories are enacted by and
through communication
 Mgmt. theories are sometimes difficult to
decipher

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Classical Management Theories
Frederick Taylor--Scientific Management
 Henri Fayol--General Management Theory
 Max Weber--Bureaucratic Theory

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Four Principles of Taylorism or
Scientific Management
There is one best way to perform a task
(use science and time/motion studies)
 Select your personnel scientifically
 Compensation is based on work output
 Strict division of labor--”Managers plan the
work, workers work the plan”

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Fayol’s Management Theory
Fayol’s background and training
 Key Concepts

 Division
of work
 Unity of command
 Subordination of individual interests
 Esprit de corps
 Centralization
Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Weber’s Work on Bureaucracy
Remember what Weber is reacting to…
 Clear system of authority
 Complete, written rules and regulations
 Organizational relationships stay
impersonal
 Selection and promotion based solely on
technical competence
 Contemporary civil service systems

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Communication and Classical
Management Theories
Driven by managerial authority
 Believes people are rational, economic
actors
 Emphasizes the machine metaphor,
workers are merely cogs
 Communication is top-down, authority is
tied to position

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Human Relations Movement
Led by Roethlisberger and Mayo of
Harvard University
 Hawthorne Studies--Western Electric Co.

 The
Illumination Studies
 The Relay Assembly Room Studies
 The Interview Program

The Findings
Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Implications of the Hawthorne
Studies
Wake up call for social scientists
 Beginnings of people oriented mgmt.
 Participation=increased morale=
increased productivity=increased
managerial control
 Managers must forge a relationship with
employees facilitating upward and
downward communication

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Human Resources Movement
MacGregor’s TheoryX/Theory Y

Theory X
 Dislike work
 Need to be
coerced
 Prefer direction
 Desires security
above all else

Theory Y
 Work is natural
 Coercion is wrong
 Self-Actualization is
the key
 People will seek
responsibility
Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Communication and Human
Relations
Messages travel up, down, and across an
organization
 Decision making is spread throughout an
organization
 Build an atmosphere of trust and
confidence in employees
 Decreased levels of managerial control

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Systems Theory and
Organizational Theory
Ludwig von Bertalanfy--biologist
 The organization as organism
 Systems integration is key insight
 Communication networks are privileged
 Informal communication is acknowledged

Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07
Theory Z and Contingency
Theory
William Ouchi--Theory Z
 Corporate culture emphasizing:

 interpersonal
relationships
 long term employment
 collective decision making and collaboration
 respect for employees, concern for their wellbeing
Prof. Nick Burnett, ComS 103, Sec. 1118, F'07