Chapter 2: The Contingency Perspective

universal perspectives

- an attempt to identify the best way to something - classical, behavioral, and quantitative approaches

Example of integrating perspectives: to solve a problem of decreasing productivity, the manager might look to:

- scientific management: maybe jobs are inefficiently designed or workers are improperly trained - organizational behavior: worker motivation may be low or group norms may be limiting output - operations management: facilities may be improperly laid out, or material shortages may result from poor inventory management - before implementing any plans, the manager should try to assess their effect on other areas of the org

contingency perspective

- suggests that appropriate managerial behavior in a given situation depends on , or is in contingent on, a wide variety of elements - suggests that universal theories cannot be applied to org is unique - helps integrate classical, behavioral, and quantitative approaches

systems theory vs. contingent theory

- systems: subsystem interdependencies/environmental influences - contingent: situational view of management

What must managers recognize before trying to apply concepts/ideas from the 3 major perspectives?

- the interdependence of units within the org - the effect of environmental influences - the need to respond to the unique characteristics of each situation

Example of contingency perspective

Frederick Taylor assumed that all workers would generate the highest possible level of output to maximize their own personal economic gain - some people are motivated by money, but others may be motivated by desire for leisure time, status, social acceptance, or any combo