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Yaser Snoubar & Salisu Musah
Theories are perspectives with which people make sense of their world experiences
(Stoner et. al. 1995, pp. 312). A theory is “in its lowest form a classification, a set of
pigeon holes, a filing cabinet in which fact can accumulate. Nothing is more lost than
a loose fact” (Homans 1958, p. 5).A number of management perspectives could be
considered as potential catalysts in limiting the risk faced by the youth during these
hard times. Though these theories are mostly used widely in organization they can be
applied in war and conflict situation as management by itself is an art. It is acting or
taking actions with respect to the original situations. For practical purposes, all mana-
gers must develop three sets of skills, namely; conceptual, technical, and human (Fleet
and Perterson 1994, p. 25).Among the widely applicable theories introduced by fathers
of management are system perspective, contingency perspective, classical manage-
ment perspective, quantitative management perspective and behavioral management
perspective. After reviewing the most important references in the administration and
management theories, Homans, 1958., Koontz, 1961., Koontz, 1962., Koontz, 1980.,
Koontz and Weihrich, 1990., Fleet David and Peterson, 1994, Stoner James, Freeman,
and Gilbert, 2003) we tried to take advantage of these theories to help young people
to overcome the crisis with minimal losses. The theories are therefore adapted in the
following form:
System perspective:
For successful and peaceful life at war zones, parties at war
need to be educated to consider that they need each other to survive and live happily
as a successful region. Again taking actions without considering its influences on ot-
hers should be discouraged. Due to the lack of well-informed information, youngsters
in such places follow footsteps of their colleagues without considering the repercussi-
on on the environment as a whole.
Contingency perspective:
Due to fear, stress and insecurity all parties (war victims,
leaders, intruders and invisible hands from outside the war zone) fail to recognize the
situational nature of the country’s management system. Hence, they respond inap-
propriately to the war situations at hand. Youth especially must be made to unders-
tand the system of administration in the country so as to response appropriately to a
particular characteristic or change in a situation. Every situation comes with a different
challenge and must be handled as such.
Classical management perspective:
When a country is in a state of confusion due
to war, most victims especially youth decide to take steps haphazardly. Decisions to
leave or stay in the country, decision to head towards north, south, east or west, deci-
sion to flee with or without relatives, decision to risk by participating in conflicts or not
and to be bribed at the expense of relatives are very critical since they need a careful
planning, organizing and controlling. Basic decision making training should be given
to victims in war prone zones as wrong decision could escalate the already adverse
effects on the victims.
