Management Theorists

Advance and adapt your organization with business theorists

By Lea Terry, Freelance Journalist / Copywriter

Business management theorists have introduced ideas that revolutionized the way small and large companies operate. Many of these ideas, though introduced over 100 years ago, are still relevant for today's small business owner, and contemporary business theorists are adding to the already extensive collection of theories produced.

By drawing on the insight of those theorists who led the way, and incorporating the perspective of new theorists, you can help your company adapt to a continually changing marketplace. A management theorist can help you:

Create a management structure for a new business.
Guide an existing business through change or turnover.
Identify the business management theories most useful for your company.

Determine which management theories best fit your organization

There are as many theories of performance management as there are types of organization, and deciding which is most effective for yours is the first, and possibly most challenging, step. It's also a valuable tool in selecting a management or strategy consultant, as some subscribe primarily to one management theorist's style, while others incorporate the styles of many theorists.
Try: Find the management theory that best suits you and your company at Thinking Managers, or by taking the Management Style Test at Queendom.

Learn from leading performance management theorists at leadership institutes

The teachings of many of the pioneers of business management theories endure still today, and are taught at institutes named in their honor. By attending, or sending your top management to these institutes, you can learn and implement the lessons taught by the management theorists who have influenced generations of coaches and leaders that followed.
Try: Send your top management to the Dale Carnegie Institute or Disney Institute, where they can learn from today's top management theorists, and then implement their teachings at your organization.

Hire a management guru to coach your employees

If you want to train your entire staff, or overhaul management practices throughout the organization, you may want to incorporate the expertise of management strategy theorists. These consultants conduct more intensive, company-wide analysis and training, and can help you more quickly implement change across your organization.
Try: Find a management coach through The Coach Connection or GottaGettaCoach!

Learn about management theorists through management theory articles

Before you consult a management theorist, or began implementing the principles taught by management theorists of the past, do some background Internet research.
Try: Find management theory articles and information about management theorists at 12manage.com or the Free Management Library.

When drawing on the expertise of management theorists, don't feel you have to stick to just one theory. Many theories complement each other, and the best way to ensure your organization's adaptability may be to incorporate many styles, so you'll have more options to choose from.