Debre Berhan University
College of Business and Economics
Department of Management
Group Assignment on Thoughts of Management
Course: Introduction to Management | Program: Second-Year Management and Marketing
Management (Extension) | Total Marks: 20%
Instructions:
1. Work in groups to discuss and provide well-reasoned answers.
2. Support your answers with examples from organizations, historical case studies, or real-
world applications.
3. Each group should submit a written report with clear explanations and references to
management theorists.
Discussion Questions
1. Discuss the main contributions of Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management. How
Taylor’s principles are still relevant in modern organizations, and what are their
limitations?
2. How did Henri Fayol contribute to management thought through his 14 principles? Which
principles are most applicable in today’s organizational environment?
3. Explain Max Weber’s bureaucratic theory. How does bureaucracy improve efficiency, and
what challenges does it pose in dynamic workplaces?
4. Discuss the significance of Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Studies. How did these studies
shift management focus from tasks to people?
5. How did Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y influence leadership and employee
motivation? Which theory is more relevant in contemporary management?
6. Explain how the quantitative approach to management (operations research, decision
theory) contributes to problem-solving and decision-making in organizations?
7. Discuss how the systems theory and contingency theory view organizations. How do they
help managers adapt to changing internal and external environments?
8. How have Peter Drucker’s principles of management by objectives (MBO) and innovation
contributed to modern management practices?
9. Compare and contrast classical, behavioral, and modern management theories. Which
approach is most effective in today’s global business environment?
10. Critically evaluate how historical management theories influence decision-making,
leadership, and organizational culture in contemporary organizations. Provide examples?