In search of management system: A conceptual and reflective analysis

The general purpose of this article is to give background on the quest for a 'Management System'. A subsidiary aim is to present, analyse, debate and reflect on some of the best-known models and conceptual schemes covering quality, strategies and excellence with a view to charting the development of Management Systems from classic theory to the present. The models and conceptual schemes selected were: The Principles of Scientific Management; Taylor (1911); Fayol classic theory (1914); systems theory and models (1951); Peter and Waterman's eight attributes of management excellence (1982); the EFQM (European Foundation of Quality Management) model (1992); the ISO 9000 norm (2000); the list of best practices (2004); the Toyota Motor Corporation's Business Model; the management system presented by Kaplan and Norton (2008). In addition, we sought to understand both the strengths and limitations of these models for companies trying to cope with global pressures.