A Chronological View of the Development of Organizational Theories of Administration and Management Vis-A-Vis Nigeria's Organizational Evolution

This paper discusses the development of organizational theory by going back in time to identify some of the issues that led to the development of specific theories of organization and their proponents. The study also, gives a brief but concise discussion on the importance of organizational theories while stating their key properties. Similarly, this work highlights the evolution of Nigeria’s public and private organizations by identifying their theoretical basis. The study deployed descriptive approach while relying on secondary data as its tool of analysis. Findings reveal that organizational theories have always been integral to solving administration and management challenges in public and private organizations. The paper noted the importance of culture and leadership in addressing the ever-changing features of society. The research concludes that the problems of corruption at the leadership level undermine the adoption and implementation of some of the organizational theories discussed in Nigeria. It however, recommended that fighting corruption and developing homegrown and culturally adaptive theories that are capable of solving peculiar local challenges will aid the survival, growth and development of resilient organizations and mitigate the problems identified as bedevilling organizational development in Nigeria.