The Management Of Theory Jungle
It was Harold Koontz who introduced the concept of Management Theory Jungle.
Management Theory Jungle was made in an environment where the development of
management theory had escalated over a period of two decades. This has resulted to
confusion and conflict which many theories have entangled in it. As such, it is seen as a
jungle.
Koontz defined the management theory jungle by identifying and classifying major
management theory. Six schools of thoughts were identified. They included the
management process, empirical, human behavior, social system, decision theory and the
mathematical school. He said that each school had something to offer to management
theory but suggested one should not confuse content with tools. For example, the field of
human behavior should not be judged the equivalent of the field of management, nor
should a focus on decision making or mathematics be considered as encompassing the
entire area of analysis. Therefore, each of these school would provide insight and methods
to aid manager in performing task, hence were tools not school.
Problems occurred when there is a jungle of confusing and conflicting theories. Semantics
jungle refers to the definitions of certain words or terms in maintenance. There is a lack of
universal recognized definitions in maintenance. Problems in defining management as a
body of knowledge which led leads to entanglement as theories in various schools compete
to fill the body of knowledge. The misunderstanding of principles through trying to
disprove an entire framework when one principle was violated in practice. And lastly, the
unwillingness of management theorist to understand each other.