• Unit 1: A History of Management Theory

    This unit gives an overview of management theories, from early management principles to more recent frameworks and trends, and goes into a deep dive on the P-O-L-C framework, which is used today by companies around the world.

    Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

      • 1.1: The P-O-L-C Framework

        • History, Globalization, and Values-Based Leadership URL

          Read the introduction and section 3.1, which give a brief review of the Planning-Organizing-Leading-Controlling (P-O-L-C) framework. This framework has been utilized by firms large and small throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. These sections also explore the case of the Hannah Anderson Corporation, and how the company implemented the P-O-L-C framework to create a thriving clothing-import business.

      • 1.2: Understanding Early Management Principles

        • A Timeline of Management and Leadership URL

          Study this visual timeline of 19th- and 20th-century management and leadership theories.

        • Ancient History: Management Through the 1990s URL

          Read this section to explore the thought process behind early management theory, with a particular emphasis on Henri Fayol's 14 principles of management. Pay close attention to these principles, as they have great applicability to contemporary management. You will also be introduced to a more recent management thought process spearheaded by Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman in their book In Search of Excellence. Be sure to take detailed and organized notes on the principles and theories outlined in this reading.

      • 1.3: The Role of Social Networking in the 21st Century

        • Contemporary Principles of Management URL

          Read this section, which explains why managers need to be able to identify social and political trends. These trends significantly shape how a manager performs his or her tasks and often dictate the foundational success of an organization. This reading also covers the evolution of social networking, from its origins as a way for college students to connect, to its present-day role as a viable, effective, and efficient way for corporations to utilize the viral nature of the Internet as a marketing tool. As you read, consider how social networking has blurred the lines between personal, professional, and business activities. Consider both the advantages and disadvantages for businesses using social networking.

        • Social Networking and the Workplace URL

          Read this article and consider the growing ways in which you use email as compared with your use of email two years ago, or even five years ago. How much has your usage of email increased? Do you now rely on this method of communication more than you did in the past? How involved are you in social media, on both a personal and a business level? In your own work, are you often encouraged to use social media as a way to expand business opportunities?

        • Discussion: Social Networking URL

          Reflect on the social networking article that you just read. Is social networking, as a business activity, part of your work responsibilities? Do you feel that personal social networking activities are conducted too much during the workday, distracting employees from their duties? Why or why not? Share your thoughts on the discussion forum. Read the responses that other students have posted and post your own comments on the forum. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to connect with your peers and to receive meaningful feedback of your own.