Contemporary Management Approaches Essay

The four contemporary approaches to management are: Sociotechnical systems theory, quantitative management, organizational behavior, and systems theory. Sociotechnical systems theory tries to revamp tasks to get the most out of the operation of a new technology while maintaining the human aspects of the work, such as the employees’ interpersonal relationships. It also touts the use of teamwork and the partially self-governing work groups as important factors for creating efficient production systems (Bateman S. , 2013). The Quantitative management approach focuses on using the quantitative analysis on managerial problems and decisions. Formal mathematical models of the problem are used by managers to make a decision. Managers are not often trained to use these techniques so the quantitative management approach is infrequently used (Bateman S. , 2013). The Organizational approach assumes that employee effectiveness is based on understanding the intricate interplay of individual, group, and organizational processes (Evolution, 2012). Disciplines such as psychology and sociology are used to try and explain the behavior of employees on the job (Bateman S. , 2013). The Systems theory approach to management assumes that organizations are open systems that depend on inputs from the external environment that need to be transformed into outputs that meet the market’s needs for goods and services. Inputs are the goods and services that an organization takes in and uses to create products or services. Outputs are the goods and services that the organization creates (Evolution, 2012). I think the sociotechnical approach is the most important because it focuses on keeping current with the new technology. This approach also recognizes the importance of keeping the employees happy so as to maximize production. References Bateman, S. (2013). Management (M Starts Here series–soft cover), 3rd edition 2013. McGraw-Hill. Evolution, T. (2012). The Evolution of Management. Retrieved from Highered.Mcgraw-hill.com: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/007802952x/970138/bat2952X_Part2.pdf