Compare and contrast the role of management, as reflected by management theory, in the 20thcentury organization with the role of management in the 21st century

Learning Activity #1 – Theme 1

• Compare and contrast the role of management, as reflected by management theory, in the 20^thcentury organization with the role of management in the 21^st century.  Include in your discussion the theoretical Schools of Thought that speak to the manager’s role in the business environment as well as definition of the environment itself.
• With these ideas in mind, consider the two Biotech managers mentioned below and the Schools of Thought and theorists they represent…  Explain how the Schools of Thought and the theorists reflect the changes in role and business environment shift.

James West is the Department Head of Production for Biotech Germany.  He has been with the company since 1974 when he came aboard at age 18 as a line worker.  He has fashioned the department from his personal experience.  He stresses numbers, quality control and meeting goals.  He is proud of his success in meeting goals efficiently and with minimal cost to the company thereby maximizing profit.  He is known as a strict taskmaster but not unreasonable.  

Artemus Gordon, West’s assistant, is 29 years old and has been with Biotech for 4 years.  Gordon has been concerned that West is not willing to move with the times.  He sees the other production departments around the globe meeting goals efficiently but with lower employee turnover.  These companies use new technology.  

Germany now has a strict work law that requires that employees must be let go by 5 pm, and overtime is only permissible if the employee agrees.  West makes employees work overtime to meet departmental goals and seldom asks the workers about his or her interest in overtime.  Gordon also knows that new technology might make the work more efficient.

Learning Activity #2 – Theme 2

As we saw in theme 1, the role of the manager has changed from the 20^th century to the 21^st century, with the manager becoming more people-centric in the execution of tasks.

Look again at Artemus Gordon’s conflict with West.  If Gordon could get West to change his way of management what five unique skills would he suggest to the successful manager of the 21st century.

Consider in your answer workplace dynamics of new organizations such as the change in organizational structure (flat, horizontal, virtual etc.) and employee expectations for the workplace environment.

***INCLUDE IN TEXT CITATIONS***

Refrences for this assignment :

Organizational Theory: read all sections from Why Study Organizational Theory, Classical Perspectives, Behavioral Perspectives, Modern Thinking, and Evolving Organizations

• Organizational Theory Timeline
• Accelerate! The Evolution of the 21st Century Organization
• Introduction to Management: Current Challenges in Management – read all sections
• Organizational Structure: Trends in Organization: read all sections
• Diversity in a Global Business World: Diversity in Organizations – read section Trends in Organizational Diversity

• Introduction to Management: Core Requirements of Successful Managers – read all sections
• A New Role for Management in Today’s Post-Industrial Organization
• What Managers Do
• 2020 Vision, The Manager of the 21st Century – BCG
• The changing role of management