Kreitner (1986) - (Booth, 1993)

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Content Theory - Kreitner (1986)

Content theory identifies what managers actually do (looking at the “content”), rather than outlining the rules and laws that defines general “good” management. It is seen as a social process, not a process of procedures. The focus was on good communication and interaction with others to achieve goals in a changing environment.

Kreitner (1986) stressed the poor qualities of management, such as insensitivity to others, ambition for themselves and untrustworthiness, as keys for business failure. A manager needs to rely on colleagues more in a crisis than in normal times, and this only works if the manager is trusted.

“Umbrella syndrome” is where managers use the rules to protect themselves, deliberately not looking outside the box if that means helping people. This is similar to the Taylorist approach, which encourages managers to stick only to their roles and ignore other factors.

Content Theory - Deming (1984): Quality

Deming's points of management continued