Contingency Approach to Management

Last Updated: 17 Mar 2023
Pages: 2 Views: 929

Contingency approach to management is a modern approach that has attempted to integrate findings of other perspectives. Contingency refers to the immediate (contingent or touching) circum­stances.

This approach was developed during 1960s and 1970s and based on the idea that it is impossible to select one way of managing all situations, and for this reason managers have to identify the conditions of a task, managerial job and persons as parts of a complete management situation and attempt to integrate them all into a solution which is most appropriate for a specific circumstance.

Order custom essay Contingency Approach to Management with free plagiarism report

feat icon 450+ experts on 30 subjects feat icon Starting from 3 hours delivery
Get Essay Help

The main contributors are Fred Fiedler (1967), Jay Lorsch, Paul Lawrence, Joan Woodward, etc (The Contingency Approach to Management, 2006). According to contingency approach, the manager has to try systematically to identify which technique or approach will, in a particular circumstance or context, best contribute to the attainment of the desired goals.

The distinctive feature of this approach is that it seeks to apply to real life situations ideas taken from different schools of management thought. The problem is that there is no a universal approach to management, and for this reason different problems require different approaches. Also, the contingency approach stresses the need for managers to examine the relationship between the internal and external envi­ronment of an organization.

“Contingency analysis indicates, for example, that a set of complex tasks are necessary to bring about significant educational improvements, planners can sequence the tasks in ways that allow managers to focus on less complex problems before tackling more difficult ones” (Amey, 1986). Organizational requirements, culture and structure are constantly changing and needed continual efforts to maintain effective work­ing relationships.

The con­tingency approach examines each situation to find out its unique attributes before management makes a decision.This approach can be described as task-oriented, because decisions are made in each individual situation. In spite of evident benefits and advantages, this approach is criticized because most of the decisions are intuitive and lack theoretical foun­dation (Amey, 1986).

References

Amey, L.R. (1986). A Conceptual Approach to Management. Durham, NC: Praeger Publishers.

The Contingency Approach to Management. (2006) Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Comp-De/Contingency-Approach-to-Management.html

Related Questions

on Contingency Approach to Management

What Is Contingency Approach In Management?
The contingency approach in management is a theory that suggests there is no one best way to manage an organization, as the most effective management style depends on various situational factors. It emphasizes the need for managers to adapt their leadership style and strategies to fit the unique circumstances of their organizations.

Cite this Page

Contingency Approach to Management. (2016, Jun 25). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/contingency-approach-to-management/

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Run a free check or have your essay done for you

plagiarism ruin image

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy

Save time and let our verified experts help you.

Hire writer