Management in ancient civilization

A report onManagement in ancient civilization

Management in Ancient CivilizationSubmitted By:Group Name- AXIOMBBA 6th Batch, 8th Semester, Section BDepartment of Management StudiesJagannath University, Dhaka

A Report on Management in Ancient CivilizationPage 2

Submitted To:A.K.M. Moniruzzaman ProfessorDepartment of Management StudiesJagannath University, Dhaka

Group DetailsSerialIDName

01.114920Akash Chandra Bhowmik

02.114902H.M. Anik Islam

03.104916Afifa Mamtaz

04.104810Fatema Sultana

05.114894Md. Al Faisal Nixon

06.114896Munna Saykat

07.104942Md. Manik Mia Shemul

08.104896Paval Kormokar

DATE OF SUBMISSION15-3-2015

Declaration

We do hereby solemnly declare that the work presented in this report has been carried out by us and has not been submitted to any other University/College/Organization for an academic qualification/certificate/diploma or degree.The work we have presented does not breach any existing copyright and no portion of this report is copied from any work done earlier for a degree or otherwise.We believe this genuine and honest analysis will help you to have a positive viewpoint upon us. We will be pleased to deliver you with added explanations or clarifications that you may feel necessary in this regard. We will be thankful if you kindly approve this effort.

Thanking in anticipation,Yours Fidel

Akash Chandra BhowmikOn behalf of the group, AxiomBBA 6th BatchDepartment of Management StudiesJagannath University, Dhaka.

AcknowledgementAll praise to the almighty, and the merciful. Without his blessing and endorsement this assignment would not have been accomplished. The successful completion of this assignment might never be possible in time without the help of our teacher, mentor and counselor Mr. A.K.M. Moniruzzaman for assigning us such an interesting topic named Management in Ancient Civilization. We also express the depth of our appreciation to our honorable course teacher for his suggestion and guidelines, which helped us in completing this assignment. We also, thank to our parents, and some friends who kept on this long process with us, always offered support. And finally we also express our sincere gratitude to all those who participated to prepare the assignment.In spite of sincere and denoted efforts, there might be some mistake in the study report. We take the entire responsibility for such unintended errors and omissions. Axiom GroupBBA- 6th BatchDepartment of Management StudiesFaculty of BusinessJagannath University, Dhaka

Table of contentsSection ContentPage no.

1.Introduction6

2.Sumerians civilization7

3.Egyptians Civilization9

4.Babylonians Civilization10

5.Greeks civilization12

6.Romans Civilization14

7.China Civilization 15

8.Venetians civilization16

9.Conclusion17

Introduction

The verbs manage comes from the Italian maneggiare (meaning to handle-especially horse). This in turn derives from the Latin Manus (hand) the French word mesnagement (later management) influenced the development in meaning of the English word management in the 17th and 18th centuries. The concept of management is not new; it has been practiced for thousands of years.It should be noted and appreciated that most of the basic concept of management being used by modern organization today, were employed in one form or another by their predecessor in antiquity.Management theories evolved from the earliest ancient times with the Sumerians famous for their development of a written language from 3000 BC where priest in the city of Ur kept records of business, legal and historical matters on day tablets which relate the management practices of the Sumerians priest, the most influential class in civilization. It is stated as likely that the Sumerians developed a written language as a response to their need for managerial control process.The Egyptians first used management practices formally. Their use of managerial practices to handle 1lakh workers in a workplace to build a pyramid also contributed to modern managements workplace control procedure. This is even very contributory.The Babylonians were another early civilization that made important contributions to management thought with their code of Hammurabi which contained two hundred and eighty five (285) laws ranging from personal property to need estate and trade to family matters. Some laws applicable to business were on control, responsibility and minimum wage.The Greeks use of different governing systems of cities & states has created the modern managements policies & procedures to govern activities. Again, the art of ancient Greece has exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries from ancient times until the present. The Romans have provided numerous illustrations of effective management. This was first achieved by Diocletian in 284 AD. Also the Roman Catholic Church which on term of longevity is the most effective formal organization in the history of western civilization contributing to management theory in the area of hierarchy of authority, specialization of activities along functional lines and the staff concept. The Chinese through the famous Sun Tzus Art of War, written around 500 BC also made important contributions to management thoughts. It is the oldest military treatise in the world but the principles and guidelines put forth by the author are still applicable today. These are on strategy, tactics and maneuvering. The venetians control of the sea & water through the development of different organizations & planning concepts contributed to the modern managements control system.Therefore, it is noticed that todays modern management is the sweet fruit of different ancient civilizations contribution to change the society, to change the individual peoples life-standard. These civilizations in further broader sense & their contributions to modern management are as follows:

Sumerians civilization (3000B.c.-2200B.C.)

Sumer or Sumerian was one of the ancient civilizations and historical regions in southern Mesopotamia, modern-day southern Iraq, during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age. Although the earliest forms of writing in the region do not go back much further than c. 3500 BC, modern historians have suggested that Sumer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 and 4000 BC by a non-Semitic people who spoke the Sumerian language(pointing to the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc. as evidence). The peoples of Sumer are among the earliest denizens of Mesopotamia. By about 4000 B.C., the Sumerians had organized themselves into several city-states that were spread throughout the southern part of the region. These city-states were independent of one another and were fully self-reliant centers, each surrounding a temple that was dedicated to god or goddess specific to that city-state. Each city-state was governed by a priest king.The irrigated farming together with annual replenishment of soil fertility and the surplus of storable food in temple granaries created by this economy allowed the population of this region to rise to levels never before seen, unlike those found in earlier cultures of shifting cultivators. This much greater population density in turn created and required an extensive labor force and division of labor with many specialized arts and crafts. At the same time, historic overuse of the irrigated soils led to progressive salinization, and a Malthusian crisis which led to depopulation of the Sumerian region over time, leading to its progressive eclipse by the Akkadians of middle Mesopotamia.The Sumerians saw most of their wealth and success from trade. Artisans such as weavers and potters would sell their wares to traders who had traveled the rivers or the desert. The fertile land (the area was known as the Fertile Crescent) upon which they lived provided a successful agriculture industry as well.Sumer was also the site of early development of writing, progressing from a stage of proto-writing in the mid-4th millennium BC to writing proper in the 3rd millennium BC.Sumerian pictographs predated cuneiform script. The Sumerians used pictographs for commercial record keeping rather than conveying sounds, according to the University of Chicago Oriental Institute.Management history can be traced back to Sumerians in 5000 B.C. They kept records of tax systems, properties and other monetary and non-monetary holdings. Later, Egyptians showed to the world their expertise in managing to erect pyramids. Then Catholic Church and governments of times were employing some form of management to handle their affairs. Then industrial revolution took place and it brought in picture big organizations and factories first in England and later in North America. The concept of Economies of Scale also came in the picture according to which large people were required to work to achieve cost benefits. The involvement of large number of people in work areas brought complexities. In the initial days, however, the emphasis was more on machines than people. The working conditions favored machines and their efficiency rather than people and their capabilities. This aspect of efficiency and machines paved the way for scientific management.Frederick Taylor was the person who put forward the concept of scientific management. His scientific management system pioneered the theories of business administration in the early twentieth century. He emphasized on the inclusion of scientific study in the management arena. He suggested improvement in management practices i.e. study of different situation be carried out to bring about improvements. The purpose was to increase the efficiency of production or factory workers by developing the one best way of doing a job. Clearly, their contribution in todays management was their use of written rules & regulation for governance which we call policy in modern management language.Egyptians Civilization (3000B.C.-1000B.C.)

Ancient Egypt was a civilization of ancient Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. It is one of six civilizations globally to arise independently. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology) with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh. The history of ancient Egypt occurred in a series of stable Kingdoms, separated by periods of relative instability known as Intermediate Periods: the Old Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age, the Middle Kingdom of the Middle Bronze Age and the New Kingdom of the Late Bronze Age. The success of ancient Egyptian civilization came partly from its ability to adapt to the conditions of the Nile River valley for agriculture. The predictable flooding and controlled irrigation of the fertile valley produced surplus crops, which supported a more dense population, and social development and culture. With resources to spare, the administration sponsored mineral exploitation of the valley and surrounding desert regions, the early development of an independent writing, the organization of collective construction and agricultural projects, trade with surrounding regions, and a military intended to defeat foreign enemies and assert Egyptian dominance. Motivating and organizing these activities was a bureaucracy of elite scribes, religious leaders, and administrators under the control of a pharaoh, who ensured the cooperation and unity of the Egyptian people in the context of an elaborate system of religious beliefs.Besides, Egyptian society was highly stratified, and social status was expressly displayed. Farmers made up the bulk of the population, but agricultural produce was owned directly by the state, temple, or noble family that owned the land.[90] Farmers were also subject to a labor tax and were required to work on irrigation or construction projects in a carve systemThe many achievements of the ancient Egyptians include the quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that supported the building of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; a system of mathematics, a practical and effective system of medicine, irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques, the first known ships, Egyptian faience and glass technology, new forms of literature, and the earliest known peace treaty, made with the Hittites. Egypt left a lasting legacy. Its art and architecture were widely copied, and its antiquities carried off to far corners of the world. Its monumental ruins have inspired the imaginations of travelers and writers for centuries. A new-found respect for antiquities and excavations in the early modern period by Europeans and Egyptians led to the scientific of Egyptian civilization and a greater appreciation of its cultural legacy. However, the Egyptians contribution in todays management was that- they first formally use management practices in their construction of pyramids. A pyramid took a long period of 20years & about 1 lakh labor to be constructed. So, it required a very well structured management practices.Babylonians Civilization (2700B.C.-500B.C.)

The Babylonian civilization, which endured from the 18th until the 6th century BC, was, like the Sumerian that preceded it, urban in character, although based on agriculture rather than industry. The country consisted of a dozen or so cities, surrounded by villages and hamlets. At the head of the political structure was the king, a more or less absolute monarch who exercised legislative and judicial as well as executive powers. Under him was a group of appointed governors and administrators. Mayors and councils of city elders were in charge of local administration. The Babylonians were Semitic Amorites who attacked and conquered the Sumerian. They occupied the Sumerian territories in 2300 BCE and established a new capital which they called Babylonia. One of the most remarkable and most popular kings of the Babylonians was Hammurabi. This intelligent and well-organized leader became the Babylonian king in 1700 BCE. He compiled all the known laws during his time and was popularly known in history as the Code of Hammurabi.Here are some historic and interesting facts about the Babylonians1. The famous Code of Hammurabi is composed of 282 written laws regarding agriculture, industry, marriage, properties, governance and others.2. The Code of Hammurabi was written in a huge stone tablet at the center of the city for everyone to see. This historic code was the peoples guide on their daily activities and undertakings.3. The heart of Hammurabis Code is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.4. Babylonian army was composed of professional soldiers.5. The Babylonian was very powerful. The king was the chief executive, the chief justice and commander in chief of the military. 6. The council of elders from the upper class acted as judges called amelu. All their court decisions were based primarily from the Code of Hammurabi. All verdicts were recorded for future references.7. Women in Babylonian society can become priests; they can sell wine and they can establish their own business.8. A Babylonian woman can ask dowry from her father and can ask support for life to her husband. She also has the right to her husbands properties when the latter died.9. Babylonians also worshipped the gods and goddesses of the Sumerians. Their greatest god is Marduk.10. The frequent attacks of Kassites followed by the Hittites led to the fall of Babylonia.11. The Babylonians introduced to the world the use of sales contract and the used of seal in a contract.12. Jewelry-making originated from the Babylonians. They used metal and precious gems in making jewelries.13. The epics Gilgamesh and Enuna Elish were important literary pieces that helped improved literature.14. The Code of Hammurabi became the basis of many laws from all over the world.15. Babylonias city capital was Babylon.Their main contribution to modern management was their extensive set of laws & policies for governance which has created modern management policies to govern activities.Greeks civilization (1000 B.C.- 200 B.C.)

Ancient Greek culture was the birthplace of Western civilization about 4000 years ago. Ancient Greece produced many magnificent achievements in areas of government, science, philosophy and the arts that still influence our lives. Greece, and especially Athens, is the cradle of democracy in the Western civilization. Athens owes the first penal and civil law code to Draco. Greece developed a democratic government with all the necessary managerial complications that such a government entails, and in the Grecian civilization we find the origin of the scientific method. History became the Greek word meaning search for true knowledge. By questioning all kinds of knowledge and ideas, the Greeks discover the research point of view and introduced scholarship and science in many spheres. The influence of the scientific method on management is obvious. This objective type of inquiry was later to become the ultimate goal of such men as Frederick W. Taylor, Henry Fayol, Frank B. Gilbert and a host of other leaders in the management field. The Greeks developed a new type of city government, the polis, which encouraged a free exchange of ideas. The polis provided practice and experience in open discussion, and through it the Greeks furnished positive examples and ample evidence of the values of that process which in management we refer to as consultation or consultative supervision. Greek used different governing systems of cities and states.Principles of Management: The Greeks early recognized the principle that maximum output is achieved through the use of uniform methods at stipulated tempos. This was especially true for hard, monotonous and repetitive work where time was set by music. Thus they introduce rhythm, standard motion and work tempos by working in harmony with music. As in other civilizations, traders were hereditary in Greece and specialization was the order of the day. Specialization was carried so far that stonemasons did not sharpen their own tools.Philosophy: Ancient Greek philosophy focused on the role of reason and inquiry. It had an important influence on modern management as well as science. To maintain social peace and unity they developed many philosophy like, know yourself- than know others. They developed many philosophers that contribute to our modern management. They are -Socrates: Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher. He considered as one of founders of the western philosophies. He made his most important contribution to western thought though his method of inquiry. One of the first accounts of the principle of the universality of management is found in a socrates disciples.Plato: Plato has the reputation of one of the most influential philosophers in Western thought. He wrote several dozen philosophical dialogues. He gave to the economic sciences their first theory of specialization or division of labour. He stated his law that no man should work in both wood and iron at the same time because his inability to excel. Aristotle: Aristotle was a great thinker and philosopher, and his philosophy was crucial in governing intellectual thought in the Western world view and approach which dominated over 2000 years. The works of Aristotle that still exist today appear in treatise form. The most important include Necomachen, Ethics, politics De Anima and many others. It clearly indicates that even in the fifth century B.C men were aware of beginning to be awar that a good manager for a soap company would work equally well as head of an automobile concern or as secretary of defence. Romans Civilization ( 800 B.C.- 500 A.D.)

With single-minded determination and superior managerial talents, the Romans gained control over an estimated fifty million people, extending from Great Britain in the West to Syria in the east, and including Europe and all the north of Africa. Mismanagement, however, caused the downfall of Rome, but the very fact that the Romans were able to build a governmental and military structure of such giant proportions and operate it so successfully for so many years is a tribe to their superior and advanced managerial capacities and abilities. They first used organizational structure for communication and control.Empire Organization: The Romans early turned their thoughts to the most effective way to organize and control their empire. Management has learned much form Romes successes as well as from her mistakes in the area of organization. Actually the worlds first experiment in organizing a truly far-flung empire. The problem was how to maintain control, loyalty, and taxes in a geographically dispersed empire. Too much delegation on a local level tempted the military and others to divide or sever their loyalty to Rome. And because of the distance involved and the need for local autonomy to meet local peculiarities, a highly centralized from of organization did not prove workable. In the year 284 A.D Diocletian became emperor and instigated a new system of organization which emphasized the successive delegation of authority. Realizing he could not control the far-flung reaches of the empire without delegating more of the authority, he divide the empire into 101 provinces. These in turn, were grouped to form thirteen dioceses, with the latter grouped to form major geographical divisions.Diocletians aim was to strengthen and solidify the imperial authority, and by thus extending the scalar principle, the old provincial governors, directly responsible to the emperor, disappeared, leaving successive gradations of delegated authority. The net affects was to solidify the organization by reducing the importance of the province as a unit of government. Some writer refers to the Roman organization as one of the decentralization. This appears, however, to have been true only during Roman Republic and perhaps an earlier period of the empire when the government was plagued with internal problems as a results of the tremendous power held by the provincial rulers. Farm management: The study of the treatises of Cato and of varro on Roman farm management would be profitable to todays farmer regardless of how practical or scientific he might be. As we shall see, two thousand years ago Romans were studying the same problems that exist today and were solving them by intelligent reasoning and good management. Cato, for example, indicates that when the owner inspects his fields he should observe how the work has progressed, what has been done, and what remains to be done. He should then summon his overseer and call for a report of what has been done and ask why it has not been possible to complete the rest. He states the accounts of money, supplies and provisions should then be considered to find out what wine and oil has been sold, what price obtained, what is on hand and what remains to be sold. Finally, Cato indicates that the owner give the overseer in writing a work plan for the year. Getting out production, maintaining plant and equipment, Maintaining communications, maintaining discipline, managing human relations, planning, participating all of which either stated or implied by Cato who lived between 234 and 149 B.C.China Civilization (1500 B.C. 1200 A.D.)

The Chinese have long been known for their wisdom, but little if any real research has been undertaken to understand their feelings toward management. The ancient records of Mencius and Chow (1100- 500 B.C) do, however, indicate that the Chinese were aware of certain principles bearing on organizing, planning, directing and controlling. China used extensive organizational structure or organizational agencies.Chow, the constitution of chow, probably written about 1100 B.C is a directory of all civil servants to the emperor, from the prime minister down to the household servants, with their jobs and duties carefully listed. Thus, over three thousand years ago china concepts have a temporary managerial ring: organization, functions, cooperation, procedures to bring efficiency, and various control techniques. Use of Staff: because of the success of the Emperor Yao and later Tang, founder of the Shang dynasty and other early monarchs, the use of staff principles became a traditional part of chinas government. This tradition was so strong that when the young Emperor Tai Chai of the Shang dynasty repeatedly ignored the counsel of his advisers, his prime minister who have served for many years under the Shang dynasty caused the young emperor to be deposed for a period of three years, reinstating him only after he had repented and had agreed to respect the future counsel of his stuff. With the passage of time, The staff principle began to be used by rulers of lower rank. King Wu, founder of the Chow dynasty, promoted the use of the advisory staff among his vassal kings and even in his appointment of prince Ching for advice before making any decision.Mencius: he believed that law along were insufficient for business- that every going concern should adhere to a standard of operation which was ordained by the law of god and used a model for government. He clearly indicated the need for system, methodology, and models in effective management.Specialization was also emphasized by the ancient Chinese in that each of the crafts was hereditary and an artisan was committed to his industry for a life time. The artisans lived together in special districts, separate from the remainder of the citizens such that thay could easily learn their trade in the absence of the distraction.The scientific selection of workmen by means of examinations was started by the Chinese government about 120 B.C. Venetians civilization (500 A.D. 1500 A.D.)

Venetian identity is deeply rooted in very ancient times, prior to roman conquers: the civilization of ancient Venetians (or Venetkens) which lasted for over 1.000 years. Venetians used organization design and planning concepts to control the seas. They needed to manage the sea for their construction. They developed double entry book keeping for the record of their entry. They were more advanced in planning, organization and controlling. Gradually they developed the thought of management.

Conclusion

Looking at the entire continuum of management thought during this early period of history, we can conclude that management was strictly on a trial and error basis, with little or no theory and virtually no exchange of ideas and practices. Perhaps inadequate records, poor communication and failure to analyze the reasons for non-success lay behind this lack of profiting from the earlier experience of others. Evidence of managerial practices clearly indicate, however, that some principles of management were recognized in these early times and communicated at least locally on a how to do it basis.In general, it appears that the managerial principles employed were born out of necessities of having to accomplish goals, and these principles were discovered over and over again by numerous individuals in history as they went about attempting to reach needed objectives.Thus, in these early times, management thought existed, but only in a somewhat nebulous and unsophisticated state. Management as a separate process was not verbalized until Plato and Socrates. Even then, the principles were not united in a scheme of management thought, nor in there evidence of any chronological and building of various managerial techniques upon previously conceived ones.