Summary
Highlights
Early administration began with nomadic tribes organizing life around hunting, fishing, and gathering. Work was divided by sex and age, with family heads making decisions. The agricultural period saw the rise of sedentary life, patriarchal organization, and the development of the state to control collective work and tribute. This era also saw the emergence of various civilizations.
In Greece, democracy emerged, along with philosophy, medicine, and administration. Socrates viewed administration as a personal skill, while Plato analyzed sociopolitical problems. Aristotle distinguished between monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy as forms of public administration. The organization of the Catholic Church and military structures also contributed to administrative principles, emphasizing supervision and hierarchical structures.
During the feudal era, administration was subject to feudal lords, leading to artisan workshops and the precursors of regulatory bodies for work conditions. This period also saw the transfer of administrative norms to the Roman Church. The Industrial Revolution, characterized by the mechanization of industry, application of motive power, factory development, and advancements in transportation and communication, began in England with inventions like the steam engine. Philosophers like Francis Bacon and René Descartes influenced scientific administration, leading to mass production and worker exploitation.
Rousseau's theory of the social contract and Marx's economic theory of the state highlighted the origins of government. The 20th century saw significant technological and industrial development. Frederick Taylor founded scientific administration, focusing on scientific methods to improve work, optimize resources, and provide incentives. Henri Fayol introduced the classical theory with six basic functions: technical, commercial, financial, security, accounting, and administrative. Henry Ford pioneered the assembly line.
Up to 1950, the “classical era” emphasized industrialization, stability, and predictability. From 1950 to 1990, the “neoclassical era” brought numerous new theories, including structuralist, behavioral, systems, and situational theories. From 1990 to the present, we are in the “information age,” characterized by an emphasis on productivity, competitiveness, customer service, and globalization.