Theories of Management

Theories gave organizations a framework for knowledge and a guide to achieving their goals. The Industrial Revolution prompted the need for better supervision of workers to boost productivity within the automobile, steel, and coal industries. It is because of this need that the various theories of management began to take shape.

The classical management theory, which came about during the Industrial Revolution, focused on the single best way to perform and manage tasks. This enabled factories to operate year round and mass production of goods. But as the revolution went on, the factories divided into separate schools of thought regarding management yet still considered it to be a part of classical. The emphasis on manufacturing and getting work done is the concept of the classical scientific school. Managers constantly monitored workers and controlled the work they did. This caused productivity to increase but failed to consider the needs of the workers. Thus, workers sought ways around the controls that were placed on them. They were not permitted to voice their ideas or try anything new. But organizations became more complex and there was a need for a new theory.

Companies focused on productivity and efficiency which lead to the classical administrative school. The emphasis now was on the flow of information and how the companies should operate. Managers were given guidelines to follow and shared goals. Henry Fayol introduced general principles of management giving managers functions such as planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling. Though this thought process developed and molded those in management positions, it did very little for employees. Workers were treated like robots instead of people and consequently were not enthusiastic about their jobs.

In the law enforcement organization both of these schools associated with the classical management theory have been implemented at one time or another depending on who is in top management. Some pushed officers to work harder on the streets but were not concerned with the poor equipment they had to use or lack of praise given for the extra effort that was being put forth. With the lack of enthusiasm for the job being felt by numerous officers, the rate in which officers began to call out from work increased while others sought employment with other agencies. That was their way of undermining the controls and their lack of a voice in procedures.

The behavioral management theory saw that the employees’ needs were important. That if organizations treated their employees as assets and with dignity their enthusiasm and commitment to the organization would increase. It was Douglas McGregor who stressed that the workers were capable of exhibiting many talents with the proper motivation and the opportunity to contribute. He gathered the Theory X and Theory Y concept in which X portrayed workers as needing to be controlled and lazy. Theory Y is of the thought that regarded workers as eager to learn, responsible and creative. But because human beings are complex, managers had a tough time due to lack of training, dealing with conflicts and the various needs of various people.

Next, around World War II, management theories moved to the mathematical approaches called quantitative school of management and management science. These allow managers to measure the effectiveness of their operations. In emergency services they use computer programs for dispatching and tracking responses to 911 calls. By using the computer program they can measure the effectiveness of response time and the number of calls they receive. In turn, that information allows them to plan, organize and staff accordingly.

Management Information Systems (MIS), a computer program, give managers important information in which they can base the decisions they make. Law enforcement uses a management information system when it comes to criminal activity. The computer based program, once all information is entered, tells supervisors which areas of town are seeing higher rates of criminal activity as well as the type of criminal activity i.e. robberies, burglaries, and car thefts. It is from that information that supervisors can determine the areas that require more police presence.

Most law enforcement agencies are made up of subsystems that allow the agency to function. These subsystems, such as the Detective Bureau, Administrative Bureau, Service Bureau, and Uniform Patrol Bureau all operate together as a whole which is what the systems school approach