This
is another modern approach that has attempted to integrate finding of other
perspectives. They believe that it is impossible to select one way of managing
that works best in all situations. Their approach is to identify the conditions
of a task, managerial job and person as parts of a complete management situation
and attempt to integrate them all into a solution which is most appropriate for
specific circumstance.
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
contingency approach may consider, for policy reasons, that an incentive scheme
was not relevant. Also the expense of a job enrichment scheme may rule this
out. The complexity of each situation should be noted and decisions made in
each individual circumstances.
It
should be borne in mind that the contingency approach is not really new, that
emphasized the importance of choosing the general type of management best
suited to a particular case.
The
contingency approach seeks to apply to real life situations ideas drawn from several
of management thought. Different problems and situations require different
approaches and no one approach is universally applicable. Manager must seek to
identify the approach that will serve them best in any given situation, so they
can achieve their goal.
It
is important to note that the contingency approach stresses the need for
managers to examine the relationship between the internal and external environment
of an organization.
The
system approach to management emphasizes that relationships between various
parts of an organization are interlocked. The contingency approach has
emphasized this idea by focusing on the nature of such relationships.
Criticisms
of the contingency approach are that it has little theoretical foundation and
is basically intuitive. This can be countered by noting that the contingency
approach examines each situation to find out its unique attributes before
management makes a decision. Earlier approaches tended to consider universal
principles which were not always applicable to specific situations.
Managers
today are advised to analyze a situation and find appropriate combination of
management techniques to meet the needs of the situation.
