Administrative Thinkers

Administrative thinking has been all about how to structure the organization and organize its functions which could lead to better productivity delivery of quality goods and services at relatively lower cost in a system where people are highly motivated to work both for their individual and organizational good. This thinking has been approached by different schools of thought. While the classical management theorists have showed that technology and management principles are way to it the human relations School held that no matter what principle is applied and what remunerations are paid to the employees but if human aspects of organizations are neglected the goals become difficult to realize. Between these two continuums there are several other lines of thinking with focus on different aspects of organization. If Weber focuses on bureaucracy Herbert Simon concentrates on decision- making networks in the organization. Reading of the administrative thinkers gives insight into how the organizational thinking has been changing with time. Organizations do not work in vacuum. Administrative thinking is therefore bound to be influenced by the changing factors of production including technology and human resources and new emerging market society and global interconnectedness. This journey has been taken care of with discussions starting from Wilson to Peter Drucker. These all are the part of modern administrative thinking. Chapter on Kautilya is only exception from ancient India. This is to acquaint the students that though administrative thinking is confined to discussions on Anglo-American tradition but in ancient India too a very advance conception of administrative structure and principles of governance did exist some of which are relevant even today.