The main contributions of some of the most influential characters in the evolution of administrative theory are summarized below.
They include, among others, James Steuart whose contribution stands out in the theory of authority, Adam Smith, a pioneer in the concept of the division of labor, Robert Owen for his importance on the subject of worker motivation, Charles Babbage for his scientific approach, to Henry L. Gantt, for the diagram that bears his name, to Henry Fayol for the first theory of complete scientific administration. Administrators are mentioned for quality, such as Juran and Crosby, and some Latin American authors such as I. Chiavenato and Zacarías Torres Hernández are not neglected.
James Steuart (1712 - 1780)
In his book called: Inquiry into the principals of political Economy, London: A Millar 1767, p 240-3), he said of the source of authority: “All authority is in proportion to dependency, and it must vary according to the circumstances… The arbitrary power can never be delegated; because if it is arbitrary, it can turn against the monarch or against the subject ”. Likewise, he was a pioneer in the methods of work and wages and incentives. (Claude S. George, 2005)
Adam Smith (1723 - 1790)
Scottish economist, in his work "The Wealth of Nations", published in 1776, formulated the bases of his doctrine: "laissez faire", in which he clearly expresses the division of labor and increased productivity. He also spoke about control, when he mentioned that to control a person, they must present accounts of their performance to someone. (Silva, 2002, p. 103)
Eli Whitney (1765 - 1825)
He used cost accounting, the scientific method and quality control, he applied the concept of interchangeable parts to the field of administration. (Claude S. George, 2005).
Robert Owen (1771 - 1858)
His peculiar working mechanism was called «the silent motor» with which he obtained greater results of discipline and motivation, since he used a color code to qualify the effort of the worker and thus promote competition.
Charles Babbage (1791 - 1871)
Known as the founder of Operations Research, he introduced the world to the difference machine, who laid the foundation for the use of the first computer. In his work entitled: “Economic principles of administration” he analyzed the cost of the processes; His ideas were systematic in approach, he requested that the interests of the worker and the owner of the factory be recognized, giving rise to the payment of incentives and the distribution of profits.
Daniel McCallum (1815 - 1878)
For this author, administration is based on good discipline, specific and detailed job description, salary, authority, unity of command, and ultimate responsibility. It used the accumulation of statistics for planning and control purposes.
Henry V. Poor (1812 - 1905)
Born in the United States, he emphasized the structure of the organization, communication and information, also stated that the human being should be recognized in the organization. (Silva, 2002, p 105).
Henry Fayol (1841 - 1925)
Among the most important contributions, we can mention:
- The universality of administration, The first complete theory of administration, in which he noted the five components known as the administration process:
- planning, organization, direction, coordination and control;
He contributed the fourteen great principles of administration: division of labor, authority and responsibility, discipline, Unity of command, Unity of direction, Subordination of individual interest to personal interest, Centralization. Climbing chain, Order, equity, Stability of personnel in their positions, initiative and team spirit.
Federick W. Taylor (1856 - 1915)
For Taylor the administrators had to stop being the "men of the whip" and they had to incorporate to it the elements of planning, organization and control. (Claude S. George, 2005, p.47)
He stated the four principles of administration:
- Planning, Preparation, Control and Execution
Harrington Emerson (1853 - 1931)
An American, he was the first to coin the concept of Efficiency Engineering, to describe his branch of consulting, this is why he is called the “great priest of efficiency”. He defined efficiency as preservation - elimination of the wicked and extravagant waste. In his main work; "The twelve principles of efficiency" highlights that what generates wealth are ideas.
Henry L. Gantt (1861 - 1919)
This author was a contemporary of Taylor, came to light with a salary system in which he set bonuses for part productivity and with work based on first-class execution workshops. He also developed the "daily balance graph" currently known as the Gantt Chart, whose function is to measure output in units of time, he was known as the Apostle of Industrial Peace.
Hugo Munsterberg (1863 - 1916)
German Psychologist, in whose publication: "Psychology and Industrial Efficiency", proposed that the role of psychologists in industry consisted of the following three functions:
- Finding the most suitable individuals for the job Determining the optimal psychological characteristics for productivity Influencing the human being on the interest in administration
Frank B. Gilbreth (1868 - 1924) and Lillian M. Gilbreth (1878 - 1972)
In their Fatigue Study and Applied Motion Study, they demonstrated their interest in human effort for the purpose of increasing productivity. They carried out studies of times and movements, developing their own techniques, until reducing it to elementary movements, calling them "therbligs", elementary movements, named after their last name in reverse.
His most outstanding contribution was the study of human fatigue, which was undoubtedly a way to observe efficiency. Similarly, they proposed principles of economics related to the use of the human body, the local area of work or the environment, and equipment and tools for work. It is due to them that everything must be tested in terms of capacity and applicability, it is a mental structure that seeks the best path. (Claude S. George and Lourdez Álvarez, 2005)
Walter Dill Scott (1869 - 1955)
He ventured into the study of advertising psychology, wrote an article entitled "Business Psychology" in which he represents the first applications of the psychological theories of motivation and productivity, thus leading to the birth of industrial psychology. In other publications he proposed that there are two methods of persuasion, argumentation and suggestion. Scott highlighted the employee as a social and economic entity with different characteristics.
Harlow S. Person (1875 - 1955)
This character is known as Mr. Administration, he ventured into the Amos Tuck School of Commerce in Dartmouth, insisted that the workforce should join the administration, in order to determine the value of the proposed changes, he ventured into the achievement of specific objectives and contributed to erase the bad image of the stopwatch as an accelerator of the working speed. (Claude S. George, 2005, p.97)
Administrators for quality
In the second half of the 21st century, a new paradigm was observed: Flexible Production, known as a customized, high-volume and controlled production model. (Amolleto), introducing the concepts of quality and continuous improvement, Just in time production, and the relationship with suppliers. Among other contributions, those of Edwards Deming and Kaoru Ishikawa, Philip Crosby and Joseph Juran were observed. Finally, two new techniques were proposed, such as process reengineering, outsourcing and Bechmarking.
Latin American authors
The concepts that govern administration have been developed in industrialized countries; In Latin America, some proposals have been adopted in companies, but the results and experiences have not been documented, but different authors have been in charge of studying the casuistry of companies in each country; among which we can mention Carlos Dávila Ladrón de Guevara for his books published as The Colombian businessman, Idalverto Chiavenato, who has written more than twenty books with a didactic approach.
We can not fail to contemplate some Mexican authors such as Agustín Reyes Ponce, among their works we can cite titles such as: Business Administration, Job Analysis, Personnel Administration and by objectives. And to Zacarías Torres Hernández for his works: Applied Strategic Administration and Small Business in the Context of Mexican Industrial Policy.
Conclusions
From the eighteenth century until today administrative thought has been nourished by the contributions of influential men, who with their theories have been shaping it from empiricism, the scientific method and the humanistic perspective. Without a doubt, all the contributions are important and, although some are applied today more than others, it is appropriate to reflect on the need to systematize administrative knowledge over the years.
Here is a series of videos that shows, in a synthetic way, the process of evolution of administrative theory, an interesting summary with the most important contributions from the most influential representatives. (20 videos, 1 hour and 43 minutes, Educatina)
Bibliography
- Amolleto, E. (sf). Production management as a competitive advantage.Chiavenato, I. (1998) Introduction to the general theory of management. Mexico: McGraw Hill, Claude S. George, L. Á. (2005). History of administrative thought. Mexico: Pearson education, Silva, RO (2002). Administration theories. Mexico: Thomson.
