Essay on Fundamentals of Management The classical management perspective represents the first well-developed management framework (Davidson. P. et al, 2000). It is the framework from which subsequent theories have developed and is concerned with efficiency and productivity, which in turn lead to effective and efficient management. Scientific management and administrative theory are both classical management theories, which provide information about management in the workplace, which is very useful and vital to have in the workplace. These theories are very different in many ways as they both serve different purposes in workplace management, although there are one or two similarities that illustrate their importance in the workplace. Both of these theories contribute greatly to the understanding of management in many ways and can impact contemporary management practices. The following analysis will further explain the classical theories of management, which are scientific management, and administrative theory. By analyzing scientific management and administrative theory you gain a greater understanding of management and how it contributes to the workplace. We will then move on to compare and contrast the two theories and how they contribute to the understanding of management. And finally we will examine the relevance, if any, to contemporary management practices. Through scientific management and administrative theory you can understand management in the workplace and the importance of theories. According to Davidson. P. et al. “Scientific management is a series of approaches aimed at improving the performance of individual workers through the use of analytical procedures to increase efficiency in the workplace.” The system was developed... middle of paper......stralia, Ltd.5. Davidson. P. and Griffin. RW (2000) Management Australia in a global context, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.6. Fells. MJ (2000) Fayol stands the test of time, Journal of Management History, vol. 6, pp. 345-360.7. McNamara. C. (1999) Brief overview of contemporary theories in management, [Online] Available: http://www.managementhelp.org/mgmnt/cntmpory.htm [2006, 9 April]8. Nyland. C. (2000) An early account of scientific management applied to women's work with commentary by Frederick W. Taylor, Journal of Management History, vol. 6, pp. 248-271.9. Robbins. S., Bergman. R., Stagg. I. and Coulter. M. (2006) Management Fundamentals, 2nd ed., Pearson Education Australia.10. Smith, A. (2000) Contemporary Management Practices, [Online] Available: http://pdf.rincondelvago.com/contemporary-management-practices.html [2006, 6 April]