DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT THEORIES AND IDENTIFIED MODELS OF HUMAN NATURE THAT UNDERLIE EACH THEORY

 

Management Theories and Their Underlying Models of Human Nature

Management theories provide frameworks for understanding how organizations function, while models of human nature reflect the assumptions about employee behavior and motivation that underpin each theory. Below is a breakdown of key theories and their associated human nature perspectives:

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1. Classical Management Theories

a) Scientific Management (Frederick Taylor, 1911)

Key Focus: Efficiency, standardization, and productivity.
Human Nature Model:

• Economic Man (Rational Actor): Workers are primarily motivated by money and extrinsic rewards.

• Assumes employees are lazy and require strict supervision.

b) Administrative Theory (Henri Fayol, 1916)

Key Focus: Organizational structure, hierarchy, and managerial roles.
Human Nature Model:

• Bureaucratic Man: Employees follow rules and authority without question.

• Assumes humans are compliant and function best in structured environments.

c) Bureaucratic Theory (Max Weber, 1922)

Key Focus: Formal rules, hierarchy, and impersonal relationships.
Human Nature Model:

• Rule-Following Man: People adhere to authority and procedures.

• Assumes humans prefer order and predictability.

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2. Human Relations Theories

a) Hawthorne Studies (Elton Mayo, 1930s)

Key Focus: Social factors and group dynamics influence productivity.
Human Nature Model:

• Social Man: Employees are motivated by interpersonal relationships, recognition, and group belonging.

• Assumes workers are more productive when valued.

b) Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Abraham Maslow, 1943)

Key Focus: Psychological needs drive motivation.
Human Nature Model:

• Self-Actualizing Man: Humans strive for growth and fulfillment beyond basic needs.

• Assumes employees seek purpose and personal development.

c) Theory X and Theory Y (Douglas McGregor, 1960)

• Theory X:

  • Lazy Man: Workers dislike work, avoid responsibility, and need coercion.

  • Associated with classical management.

• Theory Y:

  • Motivated Man: Employees are self-driven, creative, and seek responsibility.

  • Foundation for participative management.

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3. Modern Management Theories

a) Contingency Theory (Fiedler, 1967)

Key Focus: No single best way to manage; leadership depends on situational factors.
Human Nature Model:

• Adaptive Man: Employees respond differently based on context (task structure, leader relations).

b) Systems Theory (Ludwig von Bertalanffy, 1968)

Key Focus: Organizations are interconnected systems.
Human Nature Model:

• Interdependent Man: Workers are part of a larger ecosystem affecting behavior.

c) Human Resource Theory (Likert, 1967)

Key Focus: Employee participation and trust improve performance.
Human Nature Model:

• Collaborative Man: People thrive in supportive, participative environments.

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4. Contemporary Theories

a) Transformational Leadership (Burns, 1978; Bass, 1985)

Key Focus: Inspiring and empowering employees for innovation.
Human Nature Model:

• Visionary Man: Workers are motivated by purpose, charisma, and shared goals.

b) Complexity Theory (1990s)

Key Focus: Organizations are dynamic and adaptive.
Human Nature Model:

• Complex Man: Behavior is unpredictable, influenced by networks and feedback loops.

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Summary Table: Models of Human Nature in Management Theories

Theory	Human Nature Model	Assumption About Employees
Scientific Management	Economic Man	Motivated only by money
Hawthorne Studies	Social Man	Need belonging and recognition
Theory Y (McGregor)	Motivated Man	Self-driven and responsible
Systems Theory	Interdependent Man	Behavior shaped by system interactions
Transformational Leadership	Visionary Man	Inspired by purpose and leadership

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Key Takeaways

• Classical theories assume humans are passive, rational, and economically driven.

• Human relations theories emphasize social needs and psychological fulfillment.

• Modern theories view employees as adaptable, complex, and context-dependent.

DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT THEORIES AND 

IDENTIFIED MODELS OF HUMAN NATURE 

THAT UNDERLIE EACH THEORY

 

1. BUREAUCRACY

The theory was attributed by Max Weber and contributions from other sociologists were also made.

The model emphasizes the division of organizations into hierarchies, establishing strong lines of authority and control. It suggests that organizations develop comprehensive and detailed standards operating procedures for all routine tasks. All this is designed to ensure efficiency, consistency, fairness and effectiveness.

Based on the hierarchy, managers’ authority is derived from the position held and authority can be effectively exercised if positions are arranged hierarchically so that employees know who to report to.

Administrators are appointed and not elected. It emphasizes that technical competence should be emphasized and that performance valuations should be made entirely on merit.

This is a good model in that it encourages people to work hard to attain positions and may improve production as the individual has the skill.

 

 

2. HUMAN RELATIONS THEORY

 The theory is used to describe the ways in which managers interact with their employees. When “employee management” stimulates more and better work, the organization has effective human relations, when morale and efficiency deteriorates, its human relations are said to be ineffective. Managers encourage workers to develop their potentials and help them meet their needs for recognition, accomplishment and sense of belonging. The possibilities that who receive special attention will perform better simply because receive that attention. Human relations can be enhanced through increased wages, introduction of rest periods, social activities such as outings/ picnics, good communication, interpersonal relationship, lunch –hour fellowships, braii, etc. according to Basavanthappa, 2005: 37, Maslow’s theory of human motivation states that human beings join organizations to have their basic needs met. Fulfillment of these needs motivate the human being to a higher level of performance

This theory focuses more attention on the effect individuals have on the success or failure.

3. MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES

Management by objectives (MBO) is a systems approach to directing personnel that links desired work output to necessary work input and through-puts, (Fain and Sheathelm, 1984 in Gillies, 1994:52).

With regard to its effect on human nature this theory stated that;

When human beings know what they are working towards, they normally work hard to achieving those objectives.

The essence of MBO is participative goal setting, choosing coarse of action and decision making. The manager and the employees work together to set objectives where the employee sets objectives of their work which are then modified by the employer.

MBO improves worker productivity because it strengthens employee identification with agent mission and goals.

Because workers know that they must evaluate their own performance against self selected goals at the end of the year or activity, employees goals tend to be realistic.

The employees’ morale is higher under this theory than under autocratic leadership because workers are less frustrated by self-imposed than other- imposed constraints.

Workers who set their own objectives can be more fairly evaluated than workers managed autocratically.

In other words human beings are respected and considered to have abilities that can contribute to production. It is not a one man’s show or rather the manager is not considered a know it all.

4. CORPORATE MODEL

A corporation is any group of people who act as one body (Tomey, 2002:294).  Many hospital management firms are publicly held corporations that manage both for profit and not for profit individual hospitals. For nursing service to be a corporate entity it must be able to sustain its own activities without dependence on other units. The corporate model is more applicable in private institution.

Nursing practice must be clearly defined and its contribution to profitability clearly identified. This calls for clearly defining of the duties of the nurse who is expected to provide quality nursing care so that the organization can make good profit from the nurses input.

Employees will strive to provide that quality service as their remuneration is usually determined by their input and the profit made. The more profit made the better their pay.

5. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT THEORY

This theory emphasizes better performance at work. The system for work improvement consisted of the following steps;

• Observing the workers’ performance through time and motion study to determine the one best way to carry out each task.
• Scientifically selecting the best worker to performance each job, i.e., the person with characteristics and abilities needed to carryout job tasks in the most efficient manner.
• Training the selected worker to perform in the most efficient manner.
• Paying the worker a differential piece rate, to motivate him or her to perform the task in prescribed and efficient fashion.
• Appointing a few highly skilled workers to managerial positions and giving each manager responsibility for planning tasks for subordinate workers.
• Appointing the foreman for a each aspect of the work and instructing the production worker to report to a different functional foreman for each aspect of the job.