Organizational Theory

Organizational Theory

Q1: Fayol and Taylor's Theory

Taylor's approach, which was intended to improve the performance of workers, was basically a “shop-level” orientation. That is, Taylor believed that scientific management required a change in thinking on the part of workers, who needed to pay attention to details in order to bring “science and the workman together.” (Taylor, 1917)

Henri Fayol (1984) made the most important contribution to this school of thinking when he identified his general principles of management:

Division of work

Authority and responsibility

Discipline

Unity of command

Subordination of individual interests to the general interests

Remuneration of personnel

Centralization

Scalar chain (chain of command)

Order

Equity

Stability of tenure for personnel

Initiative

Esprit de corps

Fayol asserted that management was not taught due to a lack of “doctrine” (original French), and by supplying such doctrine, Fayol advocated for and provided management education. Fayol outlined the five functions of management—planning, organizing, leading, commanding, and controlling—and for each function, he enumerated the corresponding specific abilities (Fayol, 1984).

As far as the hospital setting is concerned, all the principles duly apply because of the fact that hospital works as an organization where all the aspects mentioned in these principles are firmly connected to the working environment at a hospital.

Q2: The Baldridge Criteria

The Baldridge Criteria sets up a framework for organizations (such as the hospital in this case), to check what the organization is doing. The most important theme of this criterion is that it does not provide the guidelines on “how to do things” within an organization, but challenges the manner in which the “things are being done”. Thus there is a theme of re-evaluation and accountability that govern the organization's performance management paradigm (Borkowski, 2009).

As far as the Bronson Methodist Hospital is concerned, implementation of Baldridge Criteria has had a profound positive impact on the overall organizational level. Even prior to the implementation, the hospital was ...