History of Management Thought Foundations of Work -Nomadic Society to Information Age

Foundations of Work and Organizational Structures Nomadic Society Economic structures – Communal Life Span – short, not sweet Work – little specialization – everybody works! Leadership – tribal, religious, physical strength Social Networks – Extended family – small groups Education – roles assigned by community, learn by doing/observation Leisure time – very little

Agricultural Revolution (@8,000 B.C.E.) Economic structures – Barter/exchange/money Life Span – longer – store food, shelter, etc Work – some specialization – not everyone was a good farmer Leadership – class/land ownership/inheritance Social Networks – Family names – larger communities – need for large families Education – roles assigned by status/position Leisure time – only little except for landowners, religious classes, and high status families

Industrial Revolution (@1750 C.E.) Economic structures –monetary systems Life Span – for some, real improvement Work – specialization “blue collar” – child labor Leadership – accumulation of wealth Social Networks – growth of urbanization Education – limited advanced education Leisure time – more for many – “normal” work week – time off etc

Information Age (@1955 C.E.) Economic structures – service/info economy Life Span – dramatic increase Work – White collar service-oriented Leadership – knowledge based accumulation Social Networks – de-urbanization – suburbs Education – advanced education Leisure time – DISNEYLAND!!!!!! Sports etc