3. The Time-line of Development of Management Theories:
Relative or Absolute
General Framework
The study of management theories has been criticised by some people as a waste of time because old
ideas are discarded if they are found to be out of tune with today’s business context. For instance,
time-and-motion studies have fallen out of favour these days. On the other hand some writers have
argued that the timeline for the development of management theories is not an absolute scale but is, in
fact, a relative scale. This means that what we think is an old idea may be a new idea in a different
context. In this paper you are to discuss and argue these different points of view citing evidence from
your research.
Individual components
Each individual member can argue for or against the topic. Use examples to illustrate your point. For
example:
 Taylorism: could it be relevant in an emerging economy today?
 Weber’s bureaucracy: could it be helpful in an emerging economy today?
 Empowerment: does it make sense in an emerging economy today?