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.