Convenience

The Historical Context of Management
The practice of management can be traced back thousands of years. The Egyptians used
the management functions of planning, organizing, and controlling when they con-
structed the pyramids. Alexander the Great employed a staff organization to coordinate
theory
A conceptual
framework for
organizing
knowledge and
providing a blueprint
for action
Chapter 1:
Understanding the Manager’s Job
1 1
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activities during his military campaigns. The Roman Empire developed a well-defined
organizational structure that greatly facilitated communication and control. Socrates dis-
cussed management practices and concepts in 400 BC, Plato described job specialization
in 350 BC, and the Persian scientist and philosopher al-Farabi listed several leadership
traits in AD 900.
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In spite of this history, the serious study of management did not begin until the nine-
teenth century. Two of its pioneers were Robert Owen and Charles Babbage. Owen
(1771–1858), a British industrialist and reformer, was one of the first managers to recog-
nize the importance of an organization’s human resources and to express concern for the
personal welfare of his workers. Babbage (1792–1871), an English mathematician,
focused his attention on efficiencies of production. He placed great faith in the division
of labor and advocated the application of mathematics to such problems as the efficient
use of facilities and materials.