Classical Management is a traditional management style of organizational communication that focuses on a top-down approach. During this Digital Badge Quest experience, I’ve experienced and learned about classical management firsthand. Classical Management styles focus on a
The article
on Chick-fil-A’s management style is very unique compared to many other
traditional styles and fast-food restaurants. Their customer-centered
leadership is crucial in their service style, from ending every customer
encounter with “my pleasure” to folding the end sheet of every toilet paper
roll into a triangle. When President and chief operating officer Dan Cathy
comes up with a new idea, it’s immediately shared via voicemail to
owner-operators at 1,200 locations. The Chick-fil-A managers focus on treating
their employees like they want them to treat their customers, and incentives
are given for high performances. They have high values that go beyond centering
on customers; for example, all restaurants are closed on Sunday as a day of
“rest and worship,” and Cathy says that owners and managers only have to
exhibit “humility, passion for service, compassion, and genuineness.” While it
does embody the classical management style, it focuses on the success and
happiness of their employees and customers, which creates a great environment
for guests. Cathy’s hierarchy management style is very unlike those of other
restaurants and businesses, but it’s open communication and flexible.
During our
visit to Qdoba, there were several things that we noticed about the classical
management style employed at the restaurant. One manager, Mike, worked with and
supervised employees. He was clearly in charge but did the jobs that his other
two employees did as well. The group was working as a team; when they were
running low on rice, one employee was in the back making it so that it would come
out on time to be served. It was very efficient, especially since they worked
together in a line to get the customer’s order completed accurately and efficiently.
One employee may not have been working as hard as the other, yet they still had
to rely on them because of the team-oriented approach. In Qdoba’s approach, employees
are working next to their manager, which can be good since they’re always
having to do their best. It can also be negative if the manager is too good of
friends with them or if the employees goof off, since there’d be no real
leadership. Pros of this style are that you get to know your manager and
coworkers and can do different jobs, though it’s specialized and broken down
for the team. Employees are always required to do your best, since the food is
prepared right in front of the customer and manager. Cons of this style is that
employees are always being watched, and it’s not very hands-off. The whole team
could fail if one employee doesn’t do his/her job quickly or accurately. If
customers aren’t satisfied with their food, it’s obvious who made the mistake
and what is wrong, but there’s no time for the employee to remedy the situation
if the manager is right there. Customers seem to appreciate Qdoba’s
organizational philosophy, because they can see their food being prepared and
correct any issues. Plus, the food seems fresh and is made right in front of
you. It’s very personable with the employees and is very quick and efficient;
the employees visited our table to ask if guests need anything and to clear
tables during free time. We really enjoyed watching their management dynamic at
Qdoba, and I even asked the young woman working, whose name is Janaya, about
what it was like to work there. Mike, her manager, was clearly very controlling
and had to give her permission to speak to me by saying, “it’s okay, you can answer
her questions” when walking over to assist a customer. It appeared as if she
was censoring what she was saying in front of him; together, the two of them
said that their management style was efficient, provided for an ease of
training, and allowed for good communication.
We actually didn't bring any notebook paper with us, so I took notes
based on my observations on a Qdoba napkin!
The next article focuses on the classical management style at Home Depot, specifically
mentioning Chief Executive Robert L. Nardelli and his strict view on
management. He primarily employs individuals in the military and is an
extremely hard-working individual; however, his mentality revolves around a
constant change of people with the mindset of, “if you can’t do the job right,
we’ll find someone else who can.” His management style is very similar to the
military mindset of obeying those above you without question, and their focus
on the customer is so strong that employees are expected to sell every possible
product and are ranked on four metrics (financial, operational, customer, and
people skills). One main criticism of the management style based on this method
is that it creates a “culture of fear,” which Nardelli completely rejects. In
my opinion, this strict style may produce good results, but it doesn’t seem to
build a fun environment where people necessarily enjoy going to work every day.
It appears that Nardelli is building a Home Depot army, and while it may be
efficient, it’s very militaristic. Being a little bit more flexible might be in
Home Depot’s best interest, though I think it’s very smart to employ
disciplined, hardworking individuals.
Even Home Depot has their own approach to management!
The Creamy Creations Ice Cream Shoppe article focuses on this restaurant in a midsize Southern town that was
purchased by a 30-year retiree from the military, Bob Peterson, by a fast-food
chain known as Burger Barn. Previously, the ice cream shop had a long wait
period but had a large client base of regular customers who would order from
their favorite high school and college employees and hang out in the shop.
After being bought out, Creamy Creations was changed to focus on efficiency by
Burger Barn executives, who split the layout into three separate workstations
(scoop station, topping station, and pay station) so that customers wouldn’t be
waiting in line so long. Originally, Creamy Creations Ice Cream Shoppe was a
local favorite with close community ties; when Burger Barn bought it out, it
was transformed into more of a corporate joint that was viewed by executives as
a machine to increase profits more efficiently. Their Classical Management
style focused on a top-down system, where employees each completed one task in
the assembly line before passing the ice cream on to the next station.
Efficiency and profits increased, but the shop lost its hometown community-feel
as more people got the ice cream to go instead of hanging out.
My team and I had a great time going to Qdoba, reading the articles, and discussing this management style together, since it's a very top-down traditional approach. The Classical Management style seems to work best when it's flexible and allows for open communication; while some militaristic actions may work in providing a clear, rule-based environment, it's also limiting. What we can learn from this is that this traditional style is a good jumping-off point for any organization or business, though one must allow him/herself to adapt to various situations as needed. I've noticed that this has worked very well in business environments (such as Chick-fil-A) and allows for a modern twist on a classical, top-down style.
Works Cited
Miller, Katherine. "The Creamy Creations Takeover."
Organizational Communication. Thomson
Wadsworth:
fourth edition. Texas A&M, 2006.
fourth edition. Texas A&M, 2006.
"Renovating Home Depot." Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine. Bloomberg L.P., March 5, 2006.
Salter, Chuck. "Chick-fil-A's Recipe for Customer
Service." Fast Company. Mansueto
Ventures LLC., 2013.
