Gareth Morgan Organizations as Machines

The Chinese Gardener In the story of Tzu-gung, what was the opinion of the old man towards machines and their influence on people? How can this debate be applied to today?

The Rise of Bureaucratic Organizations What is a bureaucratic organization? How does Morgan describe the rise of bureaucracy? What elements of the machine metaphor can be seen in the example of the management observation checklist for service personnel?

Origins of Mechanistic Organization How does Morgan tie the relationship between machines and the Industrial Revolution? Who does Morgan discuss? Adam Smith: Division of Labour Fredrick the Great: Vision of the “mechanized” army

Principles of Classical Management Theory Unit of command Scalar chain Span of control Staff and line Initiative Division of work Authority and responsibility Centralization of authority Discipline Subordination of individual interest to general interest Equity Stability of tenure personnel Esprit de corps

Fredrick Taylor: Scientific Management What are the 5 principles of “Scientific Management”? 1. Shift all responsibility for the organization of work from the worker to the manager. 2. Use scientific methods to determine the most efficient way of doing work. 3. Select the best person to perform the job. 4. Train the worker to do the work efficiently. 5. Monitor worker performance to ensure that appropriate work procedures are followed and that appropriate results are achieved.

Critically thinking about the theory What are some of the strengths of the machine metaphor? What are some of the weaknesses of the machine metaphor?