Week 2 Project

Page 1 of 1 MGT3035 Fundamentals of Project Management

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Weber’s Organization of the Future Max Weber (1864–1920) hypothesized that the organization of the future would have to replace the caprice, nepotism, and arbitrariness of managers with a new style of management characterized by the following key points:

Rules and Procedures: There would be rules and procedures defining how the organization would and would not be allowed to run. The workplace would be reasonably predictable and routines could be established and understood. This was to be coupled with a system of written communication and records to establish organizational memory and continuity.

Specialization and Division of Labor: Each person, including the manager, would have a clearly defined job and clear tasks to perform. People would work in rational accordance with their skills in departments or business functions organized by skill sets.

Defined Hierarchy: A clear hierarchy of authority and a chain of command from top to bottom would exist. Therefore, downward lines of authority and communication would also be established and a means of supervision and control would be clear.

Free Selection: Hiring and advancement would be based on technical competence rather than family, political connection, or some other form of succession having little or nothing to do with merit.

Separation of Office from Incumbent: The manager or office-holder would hold authority if the individual held a particular office. Other than that, authority over others did not exist at all.