The New Management Theory Jungle Study

In 1961 and 1980, Harold Koontz, American outstanding authority on management, the representative figure of Management Process School, published his famous article, "The management Jungle" separately. He divided all management theories into 6 and 11 schools respectively, according to their research methods and opinions It is well known that management theory is the result of integrating of corporation management demand with corporation environment. In 1980s-1990s, the change of environment inside and outside corporation had let it significant changes in social resources distribution, mode of production and people's living style, which have brought up some new problems to corporations. More and more scholars began to study the new situation seeking the solutions to the rising problems. There appear Learning Organization Theory, Corporation Reengineering Theory, Corporation Competence Theory, Knowledge Management Theory, Team Management Theory, etc. Since 1980s, a new management jungle has been established. However, considering the relevant works and papers in press, we found that a common shortcoming exists in the study, that is, the focus on a single respect and the lack of systematic research. Such kind of study can hardly be applied to practice effectively and efficiently and is hard to be accepted as a whole. Therefore, there is a point in making a survey of the management theory that has appeared since 1980s, particularly since 1990s in dissertation.This dissertation consists of 8 chapters. Chapter I is the fundamental part. It defines the concept of New Management Jungle: a jungle composed of management theory in 1980s-1990s. And therepresentative scholars and works are listed. On the basis of the background analysis, it points out that the knowledge economy, the integration of global economy, the individualism in customers' demand, the severe market competition, the increasing consciousness of sustainable development, the desire for talent, etc., made the management jungle emerge from many theories. Chapter II is the first main part of this dissertation. It lays stress on the theoretical contents in the theory jungle. For instance, Learning Organization Theory, Corporation Competence Theory, Corporation Reengineering Theory, Intellectual Capital Theory, Knowledge Management Theory, Coliaborating to Compete Theory, Team Management Theory, Theory of Constraints, Contextual Management Theory, Sustainable Development Theory. Chapter III is the second main part of the dissertation. It discusses the characteristics of New Management Jungle. Comparing to the traditional management theory, the New Management Jungle carries 12 features. These are that management goal is from pursuing profit to creating whole value, management center is from material oriented to personal oriented, value standpoint is from tangible assets to intangible assets, management idea is from common management to innovative management, market competence is from life-and-death to Collaborating-Compete, management border is from clearness to blur, management orientation is from corporation major to market and social major, business process is from division to reengineering, management focus is from material to knowledge, management technique is from single to integrated, management methodology is from rigid management to flexible management, management dimension is from alternation of rational and non-rational management to their combination. Chapter IV to ChapterVII is the third main part of this dissertation. NewManagement Theory Jungle is composed of management theory instead of management schools. Although there are different types of theory, Organization theory, leadership theory, strategy theory and culture theory all make up the content of the new management theory. This part particularly emphasizes these four aspects and discusses the primary developing route, direction and goal model. Chapter VIII summarizes the whole dissertation, and makes a review on the New Management Jungle from the perspective of comparison between the new and traditional management jungles; the relations among Organization Theory, Leadership Theory, Strategy Theory and Culture Theory; the science and limitation of New Management Jungle; and the New Management Jungle and China's Corporation management. In a word, some light is hoped that to be thrown on China's corporation management.