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 visual ...view middle of the document...
LeadingLeadership as a function of management will continue to change as people change. Authoritative leaders eventually give way to democratic leaders who are in the process of being superceded by the hybrid leaders. The feel good, self-esteem generating leadership style pairs with the "virtuous" organization (Cameron & Caza, 2002) to cater to the whims of the individualists. As virtual organizations increase in popularity and proliferate, the solitude and isolation of individuals will also increase. Leadership styles that cater to the individual's needs while achieving the aims of the company or organization will gain in popularity.ControllingIt is possible that some of the most startling changes the future holds for management will be in the field of control. Control over time, money and intellectual property has always been of utmost importance to organizations. With the advent of the personal computer an e-business culture has evolved. It is a double-edged sword. It has brought the population of much of the world within a fingertip's distance, but t...