The document summarizes the evolution of management thought and theory from early history to modern approaches. It describes pre-scientific management in early civilizations like ancient Sumer and Egypt. Classical theorists like Babbage, Owen, Fayol and Taylor believed in a universal process approach and identified core functions and principles of management. The behavioral approach recognized the human element, as seen in the Hawthorne studies. Systems and contingency theories view organizations as open systems influenced by their environment, with no universally optimal style but rather approaches contingent on situational factors.