How to get Organized. Another subfield of the classical perspective took a broader
look at the organization. Whereas scientific management focused primarily on the
technical core—on work performed on the shop floor—administrative principles
looked at the design and functioning of the organization as a whole. For example,
Henri Fayol proposed 14 principles of management, such as “each subordinate re-
ceives orders from only one superior” (unity of command) and “similar activities
in an organization should be grouped together under one manager” (unity of direc-
tion). These principles formed the foundation for modern management practice and
organization design.
The scientific management and administrative principles approaches were pow-
erful and gave organizations fundamental new ideas for establishing high produc-
tivity and increasing prosperity. Administrative principles in particular contributed
to the development of bureaucratic organizations, which emphasized designing and
managing organizations on an impersonal, rational basis through such elements
as clearly defined authority and responsibility, formal recordkeeping, and uniform
application of standard rules. Although the term bureaucracy has taken on nega-
tive connotations in today’s organizations, bureaucratic characteristics worked
extremely well for the needs of the Industrial Age. One problem with the classi-
cal perspective, however, is that it failed to consider the social context and human
needs.