by Filipe Carrio

Created on: May 05, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

The Management in Principle

With some critical insight into the affairs of the times, an American philosopher some years ago christened our epoch that of "the managerial revolution". By his choice of label he meant to emphasize, that in contrast to the bygone period of "the industrial revolution", when the mainspring of economic progress lay in technological development, the contemporary era depended for its motive power on personal skills of leadership and commercial acumen i.e. the ability of some men and women to impel economic progress by their direction and coordinating of other people`s individual efforts in the business of living. Divine Providence did not leave him long enough on Earth to see how accurately his appraisal would hold true. This was so even in circumstances where once again the technological factor exerted a major force for within a decade, the world of industry and commerce had entered on to another transformation,with highly complex automatic equipment and intricate electronic instrumentation as the foundations.

Science and technology are today coming to their full fruition.

Accumulated knowledge garnered by patient painstaking labors in the backroom is now borne in triumph to the board room; hardly a business can continue its affairs without some reference to scientific principles and the technological applications. But there is no reversion to a mechanistic dominance: the era remains correctly dubbed that of "managerial revolution". For one thing above all else is receiving universal acclaim,that the harnessing of science and technical knowledge is a task for "management". Exactly what that term means is not always clear,and not always agreed. What is clear and agreed is that it does mean some form of personal command of a situation such that technological,commercial and human aspect are interwoven into successful progress. Within a generation the British industrial scene has in this respect indeed undergone a revolution.

Twenty years ago opinion was all but unanimous in the view that managers are born,not made - those currently in office,of course,being obviously born destined by gift to the roles held.

Concurrent was the view that management did not matter much anyway. To be technically competent or commercially capable was all that mattered:some mysterious over - pervading force ensured successful outcome,whatever the standard of leadership.

The current-day contrast is seen most starkly in the daily and Sunday press:column-inches

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