Classical and behavioural management models are compared and contrasted. Classical management focuses on productivity and efficiency, treating workers as rational beings motivated by economic needs. Behavioural management emphasizes human emotions and relationships, recognizing social and psychological factors. Both influenced management approaches in Zimbabwean schools. Classical principles like planning and centralization were adopted, while behavioural concepts like motivation and morale building were also used. Overall, the models differ in perspective but share the goal of effective organizational management.

1. This essay seeks to compare and contrast the classical and behavioural models of
Management. In comparing and contrasting the two models this essay will define, the term
management the two models, the origins, advantages and disadvantages of classical
management and behavioural management a comparison and contrast of the two models
simply, classical management treat productivity and efficiency are the most important things
whereas behavioural management puts emphasis on human emotions and relationships the
essay will also demonstrate, how each model has influenced the management of schools in
Zimbabwe, the essay will use examples from studies done by scholars such as Mahere,
Chivore and others.
The term Management is often described as a universal conception, which is present in every
aspect of human enterprise . Most scholars agree that in business, hospital, religion, or even at
home, management is necessary. Ogunsaju (1998) says that management has a crucial
function in every organised society. Adesina (1990) defines management as the organization
and mobilization of all human and material resources in a particular system for the
achievement of identified objectives in the system. From his definition on can two key words
are ‘human’ and ‘material’. Therefore the business of management those human and material
resources within a system should be organized and mobilized to ensure that the objectives of
the system can be achieved to the fullest. It is in light of this definition that the essay will
compare and contrast the classical and behavioural models of Management.
The classical model of management came as a reaction to the management of eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries was not correctly understood by the then managers who thus
alternatively used force to get things complete. According to Drucker (1974) This gave rise to
the scientific management or human relations thought. He adds that the classical
organizational thought also called the Efficiency movement (1920 –30) whose major
proponents were Frederick Wilson Taylor, Henri Fayol, H., T. Emerson, Lyridall Urwick and

2. Luther Gulick, Max Weber. On the other hand Stoner and Freeman (1995) postulate owing to
the fact that the classical and human relation approaches disregarded the impact of social
relations and of formal structure respectively, the behavioural model fused these approaches
and added propositions drawn from psychology, sociology, political science, and economics.
From the two views one can agree that in terms of origin the behavioural model came after
the classical model.
The major similarity between the classical model and the behavioural model is that they are
both theories. According to the Advanced Learners Dictionary (2009) a theory is “a set of
properly argued ideas intended to explain facts or events”. (Walker, 1970) says that a theory
is “regarded as a hypothesis which has undergone verification and which has potential for
explaining and predicting events, and for the production of new knowledge’’. It is in light of
these definitions that this essay will compare the two models as they have influenced the
theory and practice of management of schools in Zimbabwe.
Contrary to the classical school which argues that humans are only motivated by economic
and physiological needs. The behavioural school Abraham Maslow also one of who believe
the behavioural management. Maslow (1964) proposed a five hierarchy of needs or desires.
In other words, the human desire to exist as physiological needs such as food shelter and
clothing, safety needs such as job security, social needs such as love and association with
others, esteem needs desire to earn respect, and self-actualization need that is need for self-
fulfilment.
The classical model of management has three main viewpoints namely scientific,
bureaucratic and administrative. Scott & Mitchell (1972) in Adepoju (2004) declare that
Fredrick Winslow Taylor is "the father of scientific management” who tried to increase
productivity through the efficient utilization of human resources as emphasis on the

3. management of the job. They also add that he studied and researched about worker's day time
and action in order to determine the appropriate amount of work in scientific way. Therefore
workers who achieve their workload get more wages than who do not achieve it to encourage
employees to reach their goal by division of workforce and compliance.
The scientific management model has its advantages from the view point of Koontz and
Weihrich (1980) advocated efficiency, which could be achieved when workers are made to
work to achieve the objective, set by the organisation. but the maximum output, the
development for maximum efficiency, higher quality, cost reduction and management and
worker relationships. However the model has faced criticism from various scholars as
Campbell and his associates (Adepoju, 2004). being too mechanistic, forceful, exploitative,
insensitive, and for not having any consideration for human factors but rather in favour of
organisation and emphasised productivity at the expense of human elements(Adepoju, 2004).
There because of its nature the one can agree that that is why it was challenged by
behaviourists who saw work, management and people as interrelated.
The bureaucratic model developed by Max Weber is one the three views under the classical
approach. According to Peretomode (2003) Max Weber’s bureaucratic concept of
organisation and administration is a pyramidal, hierarchical organisational structure in which
all power for making decisions flows from super-ordinates to subordinates. The Alanis
Business Academy (2014) also highlights that Weber emphasised that bureaucratic apparatus
would be very impersonal, immunising, irrational, personal and emotional factors. Therefore
he proposed principles for the modern organisation in order to bring forth efficiency and
productivity which are division of work and specialisation, hierarchy of authority rules and
Regulations, impersonal orientation, career orientation, official documentation and record
keeping.

4. The advantages of the bureaucratic have been stated by Weber and most organisations who
uses the approach. According to Weber, the principle of the bureaucracy demands
competence therefore, assignments should be allotted to individual workers based on their
technical knowledge and capacity hence would bring about efficiency and high productivity
in the organisation. The bureaucratic viewpoint also gets support from Mahere (2015, p328)
who says that:
Government invests in teacher education so that they provide
every learner with professionally-trained, motivated and well-
supported teachers. So, the country should make investments
in initial quality pre-service teacher education, moral
education and in-service teacher education and continuing
professional development for teachers.
In addition to the above the bureaucratic approach has also influenced the theory and practice
of management of education in Zimbabwe as official transactions and matters in the schools
are done officially and be properly documented Chivore (1995,p50-51) gives examples
official documents in schools such as schemes, lesson plans, inventories which are necessary
for educational inspection, supervision and evaluation to ensure that quality education is
provided in schools.
One can agree with Aderounmu and Ehiametalor (1981) who say that the classical and
human relation approaches ignored the influence of social relations and of formal structure
respectively. The behavioural perspective merged these approaches and added propositions
drawn from psychology, sociology, political science, and economics. Adesina(1990) however
contends that such an approach differs from other behavioural sciences in its subject matter
and worker behaviour in formal organizations.

5. In Zimbabwe school most institutions like the University Of Zimbabwe, through the
administrators, helps its workers to see that they can satisfy their own needs and utilise their
potentials and simultaneously, contribute to the aims of the enterprise. When there is
incongruence between the individual goals and organisational goals, then, conflict ensues,
which may be positive or negative. Administrators have roles to play in managing whatever
conflict occurs through adoption of several strategies at their disposal. Every administrator
should thus have an understanding of the roles, individuality and personalities assumed of the
workers.
According to Eneasator (1998) in commenting on the theory of organisational behaviour he
says ‘understanding the motivational basis of people in organization is based on
understanding the nature of the needs that motivate the behaviour of people in those
organizations.’ One can then agree that motivation is therefore an intervening variable
between human needs and behaviour. For example it is important for school when one looks
at the leadership role of the school mangers in Zimbabwe one can agree that teachers and
pupils need to motivated according to the level of their needs so that the school aims and
objectives are met with success.
Most of the principles advocated by the classical model have influenced the management of
schools in Zimbabwe in that school administrators ensure that qualified candidates are
selected for the teaching job and that teachers are offered proper in-service education to
improve on their performance. Schools also make provision for the supervision of staff .
Fayol emphasized broader preparation of administrators so that they would perform their
unique functions more effectively. Mahere (2014,p351) seems to echo the same sentiments by
saying that ‘Á professional teacher abides by the education institution school's contracted
hours for teachers and shows up on time (even earlier) for all work functions.’ This notion of
punctuality is also emphasised in the classical approach to management.

6. The classical proponents argue that workers motivated by economics and limited by
physiology, needed constant direction. Such an example is Taylor (1911) who formalized his
ideas in the principles of scientific management such as organizations become increasingly
sophisticated, tasks should be made so difficult as to be accomplished only by a first rate man.
On the contrary the behavioural model seeks to describe, understand and predict human
behaviour in an environment of formal organization. A social system consists of individual
who act together and share a mutual relationship in the same physical condition or
environment in an attempt to achieve an established common goal. Despite the contradictions
one can agree that although the two models differ in scope, and means they all have one goal
that of ensuring aims, goals and objectives are met.
A school leader who can motivate his subjects to achieve the goal of the institution is seen to
be satisfying both nomothetic and idiographic dimensions of the school system. One of the
greatest challenges facing school administrators in Zimbabwe is how to effectively motivate
teachers towards improved productivity. For example Makuvaza (2008,pp40) argues that
‘myself as a university lecturer in this university, I am being
as means to the university’s ends of providing an education to
its students as I lecture to them, while on the other hand I am
also using the university as means to my ends - my ends
being the desire for a salary in order to also meet my needs
and ends.’
One can then agree that when both classical and behavioural model are in unison management
of schools will be enhanced. Likewise Eneasator (1998) states that understanding the
motivational basis of people in organization are based on understanding the nature of the

7. needs that motivate the behaviour of people in those organizations. Motivation is therefore
seen as an intervening variable between human needs and behaviour.
Koontz et al (1980) list fourteen of Fayol’s principles of management and some of them are
Centralization of Authority and responsibility and from the studies done in Zimbabwe the
classical theory has influenced the theory and practice of management in schools in
Zimbabwe. One example is one done by Chivore, Machinga and Chisaka (2003,p17) who
argue that decentralisation of authority eases financial burden on central government, and
forces local authorities to generate additional resources for school support. They also add that
‘decentralisation helps in minimising bureaucracy by reducing levels of decision making ad
thereby achieving greater efficiency of operations.’
The behavioural model has influenced the management of schools in Zimbabwe. Masuku
(2011) in his study in Gweru schools observed how motivation theories from behavioural
model have impacted management of schools. He observed that physical, social and
psychological environments of successful schools were safe for the staff and the teachers were
motivated to teach and pupils motivated to learn. To ensure physical safety, schools are not
sited in hazardous locations near industries, railway stations, market centres and poorly
accessible areas.
The classical model of management has sometimes has influenced the management of
schools in Zimbabwe in many ways. In trying to maximum efficiency and productivity, the
model tends to reduce human beings into rational machine. In a way this action could be a
barrier to innovation and the development of one's skills. The implication of this mechanistic
approach to work in schools is that the work of the teacher will have to be reutilized. For
example Masuku agrees with Taylor when he observed that successful schools had adequate
tools or resources.He thus says for staff to perform their duties, resources such as textbooks,

8. chalk, stationeries, instructional materials, laboratory facilities, equipment, furniture and
fittings must be adequately provided in the school. When these resources are inadequate, staff
are not motivated to work.
Most principles of management from the classical school influenced the theory and practice of
management in schools in Zimbabwe. For example Fayol’s planning function. Studies done
by researcher’s such as (Masuku 2011) revealed that school heads, as instructional leaders,
demonstrate a task orientation by planning the activities of the day, week and term and
displaying them in the staff room. He adds that having a school calendar emphasising
deadlines (for example with regard to designing and planning, setting internal examinations
and filling in school reports at the end of the term). From the above one can agree that in most
educational institutions in Zimbabwe planning among other classical principles of
management have influenced the theory and practice of management in Zimbabwe.
The school head or principal from a behavioural model should know that the morale of
teachers is affected by both material and human factors. The material factor include such
things as salary, sick leave, medical care, equipment, supplies and facilities. In the area of
human relations, the principal is in a key position to influence the human factor of morale. He
or She can, for instance select individual teachers for certain roles, change the attitudes of
staff members, change the nature of their relationships with him/her and with other staff
members. The principal can generate interpersonal interest confidence and trust. Most often
teachers approach the principal for a number of personal reasons. For instance, a teacher may
request leave of absence for few days to go and attend the wedding of his/her son a ceremony
highly valued by his culture. The principal has to respond to such a request with
understanding.

9. To put in a summary the comparison of the two models simply is that classical management
treat productivity and efficiency are the most important things. Whereas, behavioural
management emphasis on human emotions and relationships. The object of those theories is
same that focus on the way how employers can manage well their employees and people's
work. But they have different view point to reach it. The classical management theory was
devised to make more productivity and efficiency

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