Logo en.artbmxmagazine.com

Historical figures of administrative thought

Table of contents:

Anonim

The Administration has a history, it has been considered its existence since remote times, where man was primitive and only seeks to be able to carry out activities that satisfied their basic needs, it has evolved and has had contributions from different minds, which together today have made the Administration continues to give what to talk about and is necessary 1 for organizations and even for personal use. The objective of this article is to collect those characters who have added value to the history of the Administration with each of their contributions, techniques and applications.

Forerunners of Administration in Ancient Times

It is known that the Administration can be distributed through stages to better understand its space and place in time, from the great ancient civilizations to the first characters who began to sketch what is today the Administration, then the characters are presented of ancient times who helped with their contributions to forge the Administration:

Hammurabi King of Babylon (2000 BC)

To forge a city worthy of being remembered in the ancient world, a ruler capable of directing a precursor society for other populations was necessary, it was necessary for King Hammurabi to establish laws to establish control over personal properties, real estate, commerce, the family and work (Contenau, 1954). The inheritance left by the Babylonian civilization was due to its attributions in the administration in the transactions given by sales in commerce, loans, contracts, partnerships and agreements with promissory notes, in the Hammurabi code traits are considered in the area of:

  • Minimum wages, for the performance of a job Control, before witnesses and established documents.-Responsibility, in carrying out their work in a timely manner.

Abraham (approximately 1850 BC)

Probably one of the oldest leaders whose heritage has come to transform the world through Biblical accounts, Abraham was the first of the patriarchs, whose purpose is projected to be the Father of many nations according to the Hebrew God, whose objective also includes coming to the land of promise: Canaan. The legacy of Abraham is taken as a reference to establish leadership principles with a motivational character, concepts of organization (delegated authority) and normativity (Ponce, 1992).

Nebuchadnezzar (604 BC)

Babylon was characterized as a civilization that established the Hammurabi code whose contributions have to do specifically with three principles: salary, control through documentation and responsibility when carrying out activities.

One of the most important leaders was Nebuchadnezzar, because he kept the record of the production in wage incentives to the workers in ancient Babylon and applied administrative elements such as:

  • Motivation, through incentives to workers to do more work. Control of production, implemented by the differentiation of colors. Constructions, organization to do architectural works.

Moses (approximately 1200 BC)

One of the characters of the Hebrew culture whose meaning is extremely relevant, since Moses is seen as one of the greatest leaders in the Israeli context, he was a leader who had the skills to guide his people through principles of authority. The implementation of laws that today are still principles in place, the human relations applied in his people gave him the possibility of removing the Egyptian subjection to the Hebrew community, the repair, organization and execution of the exodus of the Hebrews that shows that They are the principles of a company, with the personnel selection, training and organization techniques that led them to find the Promised Land (“Bible Gateway passage”, s / f).

Emperor Yao (2350 BC)

The form of Government in China provided the basis for what today the administration carries in the council meetings for decision-making, it asked its people to write on a tablet those councils that could serve for the way in which this emperor governed (Pauthier, 1845).

Sun Tzu (500 BC)

The Art of War is a book that has marked the Administration, the fundamental principles of war go beyond just winning battles, it is a broader spectrum in which politics, the economy, the strength of rivals are involved. and positioning in the battlefield, diplomacy and geography, through the competitive advantage and the use of resources of an organization that knows how to manage its resources.

The study of these elements of war refers to how they can be applied

to an organization with strategic planning, the formulation of a business mission, the analysis of the context, evaluation of weaknesses and strengths, study of the market and systems that make up the organization (Mariaca Valverde, 1997).

Mencius and the Chow Dynasty (500 BC)

Chow's writings show a definite list of the civil servants of the emperor, the prime minister, and domestic servants, specifying the duties each performed. In the Constitution that governed the period of the Chow dynasty there are eight principles that refer to the Administration executed:

  • Administrative structure, "that the organization is such that the government is established". The need to define objectives and achieve them, "that the functions are of such a nature that the government is defined." Informal communication, "that relationships are in such a way established that there is cooperation among all. ”Efficiency systems,“ that the procedures that the government uses are of such a nature that this government is efficient. ”Formalities,“ that the formalities are so well established that the government has permanence ”. Administrative action, "That the controls are of such a nature that the government can be complete". Restore the administrative order, "that the sanctions exist in such a way that the administration is corrected". Audit "that the adjustments are made with such frequency that the government can be reviewed ”.

There were also eight methods of governing the country:

  • Internal motivation, "that there are rites and cults to control the spirit." Limitation in the heads, "that there are regulations and norms to control senior officials." Stimuli, "that there are removals and appointments to control junior officials." Valuation of positions, "that there are remuneration and ranks to control all kinds of officials." Taxes, "that there are taxes to control resources": Social events, "that there are ceremonies and customs to control the people." Positive and negative motivation, "That there are penalties and rewards to control the strength of the subjects". Employment, "that there are crops, and other jobs, to control the actions that the people must carry out."

These remarks of the Chinese people have been compared with the current Administration and it must be said that there is a strong relationship with these ancient principles, even Mencius points out according to the bibliography used by the author Agustín Ponce that “Whoever wants to do business in this world must have a system: from the ministers and generals, to the hundreds of workers ”(Ponce, 1992); Another of the thoughts of the operation models with which Mencius contributed is the need for a system, methodology and models for efficient administration.

Confucius (551-479 BC)

Clearly Confucius is one of the Chinese philosophers who stood out for permeating his thinking in government positions and the background of advisory committees, he wrote about politics and government with the incorporation of public administration norms and the model of how to elect government officials. regimen, with the indications of an administrative preparation to succeed in the specialization.

Socrates (400 BC)

The principle of the universality of the Administration, developed the work ethic, quoting Socrates "It is not by investigating the things of the universe that we find the truth, if not knowing ourselves", is one of the contributions focused on the given administrative area In a speech to his disciple Nicomaquides whose citations are mentioned by the author Agustín Ponce, who in turn quotes Socrates (Ponce, 1992), they are presented below:

  • “Over anything that a man can preside over, if he knows what he needs and is able to provide it, he will be a good boss, whether he has the direction of a choir, a family, a city or an army.” “The conduct of private business it differs from the public interest only in its magnitude; in other respects, they are similar. ”“ The administration of private and public interests employs the same men 5 and principles; the victorious entrepreneur is one who understands these principles and uses them in whatever area there may be companies ”.

Plato (427 BC)

Another Greek philosopher who speaks of the natural individual conditions of men, gives rise to the specialization with points of view of the democratic government and points of view linked to the public Administration in his book The Republic (Agüero & others, 2010).

His contributions in the specialization to fulfill the various tasks in the work that each of the men had to perform according to their ability, likewise affirmed that those with the greatest capacity in carrying out the activities should be the leaders, the men whose audacity was greater then they should be assigned to belong to the warriors, while the others who did not have the first characteristics should be artisans, farmers, merchants and slaves, all in the end make up the State.

Xenophon (400 BC)

Xenophon emphasized the specificity of the Administration and said that work activities are divided into internal and external: “What is common to all occupations, be they agricultural, political, domestic and military, is the one that excels in those must be capable of directing another ”; The activities that have to do with the internal is to direct those who will stay to work in the external activities, that is, to farm, sow, shepherd and that through the inputs given by the external is how the control of inventories.

Aristotle (387 BC)

Ancient Greece also gave another precursor to form the Administration, this was Aristotle and his theory of happiness where he states that “No one can deny that everything that is done has an end, everything that man must consider as a good for him ”. In his book The Politics he wrote about the State and the government of the Public Administration, with the aim of separating the authority of the state into three powers that we know today in democracy which are: executive, legislative and judicial (Estrada Mejía & others, 2007).

Alexander the Great (336 BC)

Different techniques were those that Alexander used to conquer different territories, one of the ways in which he organized the people around him was through the appearance of the Staff, it has to do with a military organization to plan battles of conquest in writing and coordinate subordinates and leadership. Undoubtedly, techniques used by Alexander in his empire were the basis for other rulers predecessors to Magno (George, 2005).

Arthasastra of Kautilya (321 BC)

In India ideas similar to those of Machiavelli (another of the important figures for the Administration in the time of the Venetians) were presented but around two thousand years ago. The Brahman made writings on the political, social and economic administration in the State, more precise with focusing on the duties of the governor and other government positions such as ministers and councilors to lead the people to political success in the later (George, 2005).

Diocletian (284 BC)

The changes in the political administration occurred in Constantinople, where officials of delegated authority emerged, to refine the chain of authority in the administrative hierarchy, giving way to the use of the delegation of authority in the government and the separation of the government and the military part, what is now known as executive and judicial (Estrada Mejía & others, 2007).

Cyrus (200 BC)

Ciro's contribution to the Administration has to do with the assignment of activities with respect to the specificity of each man and preserving the direction, command and order of teamwork, coordination and purpose for government objectives, recognized human relations. In addition, he was the initiator of the registration of movement studies, schematization and material handling (Ponce, 1992).

Cato (175 BC)

Cato used the job description in which the activities of each individual are described for the contribution of the Empire, in turn, with the supervision of the functions reports are revealed to supervise.

Jesus of Nazareth (22 AD)

One of the characters that today make a turning point in the life of historical events, is one of the greatest exponents of leadership, the Hebrew people as it was described at first, was a key piece for the thoughts of unity of command, Regulations and human relations were established as part of the Administration, through the life of Jesus, whose purpose is to teach leadership through the practice of example (Arrazola, 1836).

Absence of the Administration in the Middle Ages

As is well known, after the fall of the Roman Empire, it gave way to a new era marked by religion and the kings of the territories established mainly in Europe, at this time there were practices in the techniques of leading organizations, however, identified the absence of characters who made specific contributions to the Administration, except for:

The Venetians (1300-1400 AD)

There are no specific writings on the Administration, but it is certain that it was present in some way in social organizations, for example:

  • Alfarabi listed the characteristics of a leader with the references he made in the princes.Lucas Pacioli with his contribution in double entry accounting.Francisco Di Marco with contributions in cost accounting techniques.The Soranzo brothers, use of the newspaper and the Barbarigo ledger, with the forms of organization of businesses with accounting processes.

Precursors of Administration in the Renaissance

A time where the arts and science were reborn, there were important contributions for the Administration to develop no longer as an art, but now as part of a science and the composition of a technique, then the most important characters of this time They are:

Nicholas Machiavelli (1469 AD)

Almost at the end of the Middle Ages, Machiavelli was born, this character has been characterized by his book The Prince, the reading is composed of a series of advice to govern, politically speaking, Machiavelli reveals that “The State and the Company can be defined in in the same way: institutions for the efficient use of resources through a government - Board of Directors - to maintain or increase the wealth of the wealthy classes - shareholders - 8 and to provide prosperity and security to citizens - employees - “.

Machiavelli also reveals that whoever has been assigned a specific activity must have the ability to guide those in his charge to reach the goal; The themes that the Administration in the organization deals with are: permanence, centralization-decentralization, approval of the masses, cohesiveness, competence, and the qualities of the leader (JAY, 1972).

Thomas More (1500 AD)

He is taken as the counterpart of Nicolás Machiavelli, for directing his contributions from a more humanistic point of view, in his book "Utopia", as well as its title refers to an ideal world, Moro argued that the economic aspects and the government were those that brought more results to the noble class, and called for specialization.

Precursors of Administration in the Industrial Revolution

This stage in history is characterized by the implementation of machinery to facilitate the work of the production of shops, it meant a radial change in the substitution of man for machines, several of the characters that marked this stage from the point of administrative view are:

Adam Smith (1776 AD)

He sought to increase productivity depending on the skill that each worker had in manufacturing specialization, saving time with machinery that facilitated work and the application of control. It determined that if the worker's level of specialization was applied, then it increased efficiency and increased organizational performance (Robbins, 2009).

Eli Whitney (1799 AD)

He introduced the American system of mass production, he used the scientific method with the use of cost accounting and quality control.

Forerunners of Scientific Administration

The concepts of the studies carried out by various protagonists of the Administration in the Industrial Revolution, led to write directly or indirectly about the Administration, but that each one was fundamental to strengthen the knowledge applied in the administration, however, in the following In part of this document, the most outstanding ones with respect to the Administration are mentioned: 9

Robert Owen (1810 AD)

Characterized by being named the father of Cooperativism and the modern administration of workers, with the emphasis on human relations, his objective was to establish a model of industrial organization, Owen affirmed “The interest in employees was very profitable for the management and, in addition, alleviated the misery of human beings ”.

Charles Babage (1832 AD)

A teacher by profession, a contemporary of Isaac Newton, he established links between the university and industry, as a result of inventing the Difference Machine, he had contact with workshops and industry, so one of the principles that stands out is that of "division of labor ”And his book The economy of machines and manufactures with the study of times and movements, cost accounting and effects of variables in production processes, which gave rise to Taylor's theories.

Henry Robinson Towne (1886 AD)

In his book The Engineer as an Economist, he reveals that Workshop Administration is as important as administration and engineering in the efficient management of a company.

It approaches Administration as a science.

School of Scientific Administration

For a better understanding of the subject of Administration, it is necessary to section the time now in the classification of the theories that strengthened it, the first of the schools to emerge was that of the scientific point of view:

Frederick Winslow Taylor

According to Taylor, instead of being "men of the whip", administrators would have to change a broader vision, in 1911 he released "Principles of Scientific Management", causing a mental revolution in the company, with the implementation of the method scientist (Ponce, 1992):

  • Set the problem to be applied Make preliminary observations in relation to this hypothesis Statement of the experimental solution of this problem Complete investigation of the proposition Classification of the data obtained State a fundamental experimental answer Response to the proposition and the objectivity of the analysis.

It applied the systems of payment by piece, the management of personnel and the role of each employee for the purpose of producing, in turn, cost systems (Contreras, Piñones, & Hidalgo, 2014). Taylor stated the following:

  • Develop a science for each element of a man's work Select scientifically and then train, teach, and develop the worker Cooperate enthusiastically with men to ensure that work is being performed with science Division of responsibility and work between the administrator and the worker.

Henry Gantt (1901 AD)

Strong exponent of the scientific movement in the Administration, focused on the search for a better organization of work from the human aspect, providing the graph called "Gantt Diagram" where activities, times and persons in charge of each activity are contemplated. Incentives were part of her work in Scientific Administration, success is linked to the motivation of the workers (Robbins, 2009).

Frank B. Gilbreth (1901 AD)

With the help of his wife he used film tools to be able to record each of the movements in the production processes, his studies are based on the study of the movements of the production.

Precursors of Classical Administration

Characterized because the Administration is applied in any of the activities carried out by the human being, without obtaining variations, in the end it seeks to reach the objective, then the men who contributed their knowledge in this classification of the Administration are presented:

Henry Fayol (1915 AD)

The first to define the Administration and that is capable of being transmitted as teaching, recognized for establishing the stages of the administrative process: planning, organization, instruction, coordination and control to constitute efficiency and emphasize the structure and functions of the organization; I was interested in publicizing the problems the company had to do with senior management levels and in turn, with 11 operating levels (George, 2005). In 1916 he published his work, Industrial and General Administration, with the formulation of the following principles:

  • Division of labor Authority and responsibility Unity of command Unity of management Subordination of individual interests to general interests Remuneration of personnel Centralization Climbing chain (chain of command) Stability and maintenance of personnel Teamwork.

The Administration is made up of operations: technical, commercial, financial, security, accounting, administrative.

James D. Mooney (1931 AD)

Follower of the Fayol movement, he recognizes the Administration as universal in the principles of the organization, analyzes two aspects:

  • Analysis of the various peoples and institutions It provides more principles supported by Fayolism.

Forerunners of Human Stewardship

Specialized in the behavior of man, the way in which man manifests himself in the organization, the following are the exponents of this stage of the Administration:

Mary Parker Follet (1930 AD)

A female precursor of administrative thought, due to her philosophical profile she was interested in the problems of management in organizations with public administrations, she joined the scientific Administration with the social approach for solving problems. She proposed cross-functional collaboration for multidisciplinary teams in companies (Robbins, 2009).

Chester Barnard (1938 AD)

It is based on the fact that man brings value to the company and that within the organization he pursues personal goals that in turn will achieve the objectives that are the responsibility of the company. In his book "The Functions of the Executive" he mentions:

  • Formulate a theory of cooperation and present a description of the process The worker must be induced to cooperate in the company Distinction between formal and informal organization.

Forerunners of Human Relations Management

Human behaviors are those that have considered man as the most important element within the organization, consider the motivation and consolidation of a system of interpersonal relationships through coordination, the people listed below are considered those who unified his studies to strengthen this school:

George Elton Mayo (1927 AD)

Renowned for being the father of human relationships. The technical and economic factors should be considered to a lesser extent than the aspects that make up man, such as: emotions, actions and feelings. He saw the organization as a social identity and the social factor helps the productivity of the work group, specifically his contributions were:

  • Incorporation of psychology and sociology into administration. Introduction of group dynamics and motivation.

Abraham H. Maslow (1954 AD)

Maslow focused his studies on the self-realization of man within the organization, based on the hierarchy of needs that he exposes (Maslow, 1954):

  • Physiological Affiliation or social Self-esteem.  Self-realization.

Douglas Mc Gregor (1960 AD)

Forerunner known for displaying two theories within the organization regarding human nature:

  • Theory X, classical work organization. Theory Y, initiative and responsibility in the worker.

Robert R. Blake and JS Mouton (1960 AD)

They expose a managerial model so that the person in charge knows the managerial instincts and implement improvements, their tool is linked to the vertical and horizontal axes. This tool was directed so that the manager had participation in the workers in the search for a goal and solving the conflicts of the people who make up the company.

Precursors of the new theories of Administration

The theory of behavior unites the classical, scientific and human theories, but with a focus on the processes and dynamics of organizations, the following exponents of these new theories are shown below:

Rensis Likert (1932 AD)

Through its graphic tool for the diagnosis in consultancy in organizational development, with the classification of management systems in:

  • Exploitative system Benevolent-authoritarian system Consultative system Participatory group system

Peter F. Drucker (1954 AD)

He is the forerunner who manifested the management methods for the success of companies, since for him the company is an institution to create changes, consequently, this will bring satisfaction to workers and through this seek organizational goals.

Max Weber (1920 AD)

The bureaucracy was where it focused on the Administration, changed the formal structure with a focus on human behavior, studied the roles of authoritative leadership

  • Charismatic

Paul R. Lawrence and Jay W. Lorsch (1972 AD)

It is adaptable to changes in the organization by the context that encompasses environmental, technological and market demands to achieve organizational goals, implemented the terms of effectiveness and efficiency. Precursors that define situational theory.

  1. Edwards Deming (1986 AD)

Father of quality, with the foray into Japan, creator of the book "Out of the Crisis". Where he exposes that the Administration must work and seek to achieve quality products, in terms of productivity and competitive position.

William Ouchi (1980 AD)

An exponent of Theory Z, he characterized companies by classifying them into American and Japanese companies and those that implement a new culture; This theory is based on the following:

  • Great identification of the company with its employees Careful treatment of the company to the employees Loyalty of the collaborators towards the company Lifetime employment system Low staff turnover Motivation for good productivity results Personal participation in the processes administrative.

Kaoru Ishikawa (1952 AD)

He contributed innovative ideas in quality specifically in Japan, theorist of Japanese management in companies for quality control with the implementation of the development, production and commercialization of the provision of services in optimal profits. Implement quality circles.

Conclusions

The Administration has been built by a significant number of men and women who have contributed knowledge to know the Administration as it is presented today. The historical development allows us to see how, since ancient times, authority figures put into practice techniques that led them to success in achieving the objectives they had, however, there are factors that characterized each of the stages in the chronological framework. The time of the boom of the Administration was presented as a result of the fact that machines were used in the shops that facilitated the creation of products, it is clear to see that in the Industrial era there were findings that allow formalizing the Administration, later these events gave a guideline to there was the creation of theories to improve the concept of Administration.

Biliography:

Agüero, PMZ, & others. (2010). Brief Historical Outline Of The Personnel Selection Process. Contributions to the Social Sciences, (2010–10). Recovered from

Arrazola, L. (1836). Spanish Encyclopedia of Law and Administration or New Universal Theater of the Legislation of Spain and the Indies: Ciu-Col. Tip. by Antonio Rius and

Rossell.

Bible Gateway passage: Exodus 18 - Reina-Valera 1960. (s / f). Retrieved on February 12, 2017, from

1960

Contenau, G. (1954). Everyday Life in Babylon and Assyria by Georges Contenau - AbeBooks. Retrieved February 12, 2017, from

Contreras, FG, Piñones, MA, & Hidalgo, CV (2014). Theoretical innovations in administration: a synoptic diachronic look. Social Prism: Social Science Magazine, (12), 688–707.

Estrada Mejía, S., & others. (2007). Leadership through history. Recovered from

George, CS (2005). History of administrative thought. Pearson Education.

JAY, A. (1972). THE ADDRESS OF COMPANIES AND MAQUIAVELO. Destino Editions.

Mariaca Valverde, G. (1997). SUN TZU: MORE CURRENT THAN EVER. Science Magazine and

Culture, (1), 10–14.

Maslow, AH (1954). Motivation and personality.

Pauthier, G. (1845). China o Historical, geographical and literary description of this vast empire, according to Chinese documents: Part one, comprising a summary of Chinese history and civilization from ancient times to the present day. Imparcial Printing Office.

Ponce, AR (1992). Modern administration. Editorial Limusa.

Robbins, S. (2009). Fundamentals of Administration: essential concepts and applications (6th.). Mexico: Pearson Education.

Download the original file

Historical figures of administrative thought