.

Operational Theory:

“The operational approach to management theory and science draws together the pertinent
knowledge of management by relating it to the managerial job that managers do. It tries to
integrate the concepts, principles, and techniques that underlie the task of managing.”

Since managerial concepts apply at all levels of management in all kinds of organisations,
business or non-business, this theory manages different situations by taking the best from
theories (classical, behavioural, systems, quantitative etc.) in different schools of thought and
unifies them into one theory. Rather than applying one approach, it picks up the best and relevant
aspects of different theories that can practically apply to a given situation.

Since management is a complex task that involves relationships amongst variables that affect
internal and external organisational environment, managerial knowledge must be an integration
of pertinent knowledge from different schools of management thought.

Operational theory is also regarded as the management process school of thought where
management process is considered as a set of management functions (planning, organising,
actuating and controlling) which distinguish managers from non-managers. The emphasis on
these functions varies with the actual situation. Managers seek knowledge of other theories with
process framework as central management functions to be performed.

This theory has practical application today. “Since the activities of a manager are basic, the
process school provides an excellent framework not only for the study of management using this
fundamental approach but also for using valuable contributions offered by other schools of
management. The goal is to take the best from what is available in management thought and
work it into a single theory.”