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Management: Authority and Responsibility

In the behavioral management period, there was a SUMMARY
human relations movement. Advocates of the human rela- Management is a very complex process to which this arti-
tions movement believed that if managers focused on cle is but a brief introduction. Other articles in this ency-
employees rather than on mechanistic production, then clopedia provide extensive insight into the many styles
workers would become more satisfied and thus more pro- and theories of management.
ductive laborers. Human relations management sup-
ported the notion that managers should be paternalistic SEE ALSO Careers in Management; Ethics in Manage-
ment; Management: Authority and Responsibility;
and nurturing in order to build work groups that could be
Management: Historical Perspectives;
productive and satisfied.
Management/Leadership Styles
The behavioral science movement was also an impor-
tant part of the behavioral management school. Advocates
of this movement stressed the need for scientific studies of BIBLIOGRAPHY
the human element of organizations. This model for man- Nickels, William G., McHugh, James M., and McHugh, Susan
M. (2005). Understanding Business. Boston: McGraw-
agement emphasized the need for employees to grow and
Hill/Irwin.
develop in order to maintain a high level of self-respect
Pierce, Jon L., and Dunham, Randall B. (1990). Managing.
and remain productive workers. The earliest advocates of Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman/Little, Brown Higher Educa-
the behavioral science movement were Abraham Maslow tion.
(1908–1970), who developed Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs, and Douglas McGregor (1906–1964), who devel-
oped Theory X and Theory Y. Roger L. Luft

Contemporary Management Thought. In more recent
years, new management thoughts have emerged and influ-
enced organizations. One of these is the sociotechnical MANAGEMENT:
system. A system is a set of complementary elements that AUTHORITY AND
function as a unit for a specific purpose. Systems theorists RESPONSIBILITY
believe that all parts of the organization must be related
and that managers from each part must work together for How can people be influenced to make commitments to
the benefit of the organization. Because of this relation- the goals of the organization? In part, this question can be
ship, what happens in one part of the organization influ- answered by how managers define and use power, influ-
ences and affects other parts of the organization. ence, and authority. Deciding what type of authority sys-
Another contemporary approach to managing tem to create is part of the managerial responsibility of
involves contingency theories. This approach states that organizing. Compare, for example, two managers. One
accepts or rejects all ideas generated at lower levels. The
the manager should use the techniques or styles that are
other gives the authority for making some decisions to
most appropriate for the situation and the people
employees at the level where these decisions will most
involved. For example, a manager of a group of Ph.D.
chemists in a laboratory would have to use different tech- likely affect those employees. How managers use their
niques from a manager of a group of teenagers in a fast- power, influence, and authority can determine their effec-
food restaurant. tiveness in meeting the goals of the organization.

Closed Management Systems. Within the classical and RESPONSIBILITY
behavioral approaches to management, managers look Responsibility is the obligation to accomplish the goals
only within the organization to improve productivity and related to the position and the organization. Managers at
efficiency. This is a closed system—the organization oper- all levels of the organization typically have the same basic
ates as though it is in its own environment. Outside influ- responsibilities when it comes to managing the work
ence and information are blocked out. force. They must direct employees toward objectives,
oversee the work effort of employees, deal with immediate
Open Management Systems. Another perspective is the problems, and report on the progress of work to their
open system. As one would expect, here the organization superiors. Managers’ primary responsibilities are to exam-
functions in conjunction with its external environment, ine tasks, problems, or opportunities in relationship to the
acting with and relying upon other systems. Advocates of company’s short- and long-range goals. They must be
an open system believe that an organization cannot avoid quick to identify areas of potential problems, continually
the influence of outside forces. search for solutions, and be alert to new opportunities and

470 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE, SECOND EDITION