The Future of Management.

The Future of Management. Article SummaryTo see the future of management and where the current trends are leading, look first to the past. Look at the foundations upon which management theory was built. Fayol, Taylor, Weber and MacGregor (Warner, 2003) each contributed to the field at critical times in recent history. The introduction and in some cases, subsequent discard of their individual and collective theories points to the idea that the future in this subject is wide open and extremely fast moving with new theories bumping off their predecessors rapidly. Exploring the future of the four functions of management will give us a view to the future of management theory as a whole.PlanningIn trying to visualize planning as a management function, many will picture a group of managers sitting around a table with yellow legal pads, tossing out their ideas of the future. Today's reality however is just as likely to be a senior executive alone in his office with his hands poised over his keyboard, experiencing glo balization firsthand as he watches the markets close in Japan, Germany and China.Figure 1: Process-data model for the change manage...However, times are changing. Upper level managers are realizing that in order to improve productivity, their employees need to be happy. We are learning that if an employee feels a loyalty toward their manager they are more likely to perform better. Companies are flattening and hiring more knowledgeable employees and these employees want to feel that they are worth something and need a strong leader to motivate and direct them. Today it is no longer about managing employees it is about leading them into the future. I see that this will be moreover the style and method for management.Also, family needs are playing a great role in the future of management. All employees including managers are demanding companies to allow time for their families. Work and family are...