Frederick Taylors Scientific Management - Report Example

20 May 2007 Management Theory and Practice: Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management "In the past the man has been first. In the future the system must be first. The first objective of any good system must be that of developing first class men." Frederick W. Taylor The quest of Frederick Taylor in revolutionising the operations of business organisations is rooted in his perception that American workers are inefficient. As a mechanical engineer by trade, Taylor has been exposed to the attitudes of various employees in the workplace. Thus, he envisioned the application of scientific method to the management of workers which can significantly improve productivity and eliminate inefficiencies in business organisations (Gariepy 1). He committed himself in the conduct of time management studies which resulted in his most famous work, The Principles of Scientific Management which was published in 1911 (Frederick Taylor 1). Because of this work, Taylor gains the reputation of being the father of scientific management. Scientific management methods, as put forward by Taylor, "called for optimizing the way tasks were performed and simplifying the jobs enough so that workers could be trained to perform their specialized sequenced of motions in one best way" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 1). The formulation of scientific management is Taylor's response to the working conditions during his time. It should be noted that prior to scientific management, the various works in the factory are solely performed by skilled craftsmen who have acquired their knowledge and skills through long and tedious apprenticeships. Having no particular specifications from the management on how jobs should be performed, workers during the period are given much autonomy, giving them the sole discretion on how their jobs should be performed. Thinking that their apprenticeship has been adequate in shaping and preparing for the jobs required, management are often left with other decision making tasks. However, scientific management changed this situation in the workplace by "taking away much of this autonomy and converting skilled crafts into a series of simplified jobs that could be performed by unskilled workers who easily could be trained for the tasks" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 2). Taylor, through his time and motion studies formulated the most scientifically efficient in doing performing a single task which do not only lessen the workload for each employee but also shorten the time that the task is performed. The main contribution of Taylor in the field of management can be delineated within the bounds of management service practice and organisational management. The main premise of Taylor in the concepts which he put forward is the utilisation of scientific principles in every situation including the solution of problems in business organisations (Frederick Winslow Taylor 2). Through his exposure on steel workers, Taylor has observed what he calls soldiering which he explains as "underworking, that is, deliberately working slowly so as to avoid a full day's work" (Taylor 6). He observes that the current situation facilitates this inefficiency of workers. According to him, there are three primary reasons which causes soldiering: first, the universal belief that if workers become productive, less workers will be needed causing elimination or termination; second, the non-incentive wage system which encourage workers to work at a slow pace considering that they will be paid the same wage regardless of the amount of work that they finish; and third, the reliance on rule of the thumb measures and the absence of optimal work methods in order to enhance efficiency (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 4). With this, Taylor lays down the four principles which become the foundations of scientific management. Scientific management calls for the replacement of the rule of the thumb work methods with systems derived from scientific studies (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 5). As stated above, Taylor perceived that one of the main causes of inefficiency is the absence of scientifically formulated work methods. Thus, the elimination of this and the introduction of new systems will be greatly beneficial. Scientific management highlights selecting, training, and developing employees in order to align them with the new methods at hand (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 5). With this principle, it should be noted that the previous autonomy of the employees is replaced with the commitment to n specific task through the guideline of the management. The level of a skill that an individual should posses becomes unnecessary because the company will give him the specific training that he needs in order to specialise in a relatively simple task. Taylor also stresses that man should be developed to "his state of maximum efficiency" which means the companies opt to train and enhance the capabilities of the employees until he has reached "the highest grade for work for which his natural abilities fit him" (Taylor 6). Thirdly, scientific management stresses cooperation with the workers in order to ensure that the scientifically developed methods are being utilised . (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 5). As discussed above, the new system releases the worker from full autonomy. This also means that the employees are now closely supervised by their superiors. Business organisations communicate the new work methods to their employees and maintain relationship with them ensuring that they are working as instructed. In the traditional method, managers are preoccupied with corporate decision making while workers are on the front line doing the menial works without the interference of their superiors. In scientific management, managers and employees are given different tasks to complete. There emerged a new division of labor where managers are engaged in the planning the specific works for each employee while the employees carry out the work which was designed by the managers (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 5). In this principle, we can see the emphasis and the emergence of hierarchy in a company, system of abstract rules, and impersonal relationships between staff (Employee Motivation 4). Based on these principles, Taylor has created his own mark in the field of organisational management. Even though not directly stated, it can be deduced that Taylor has devised his own framework of organisation with: "a clear delineation of authority; responsibility; separation of planning from operations; incentive schemes for workers; management by exception; and task specialization" (Scientific Management 5). The contribution of Taylor to contemporary management is significant. It should be noted that his scientific approach to business management and process improvement is advocated by current business organisations. Scientific management has been strongly related with the car manufacturer Ford, which applies its principles in its business operation (Gariepy 1). The foundation of quality control and during the 1920s and 1930s also traces their roots from the scientific management through the aid of advanced statistical methods. This has evolved into the operations and cybernetics during the following decades until became total quality management and reengineering in the 1980s. Currently, scientific management can be directly linked to the widely popular and accepted production methods of Six Sigma and lean manufacturing (Scientific Management 6). Taylor should also be regarded for his contribution in employee motivation which is still applied in contemporary management. Taylor strongly advocated that increase in the monetary compensation encourages the workers to work more efficiently. However, this does not seem to apply in some modern business organisations as this view reduces individuals into materialism. Modern motivational theories go beyond the monetary and physical needs of an individual and recognise his desire for more intangible benefits which includes belongingness in the company, acceptance, social relations, self-improvement, and others (Employee Motivation 4). Thus, modern companies do not only opt to offer competitive monetary compensation but also provides a friendly working environment, team-building activities, and religious endeavors. Even though the use of teamwork and workgroups in the manufacture of products like computers is gaining popularity in the global manufacturing industry, typical business organisations still practice the job specialisation which is originally promoted by Taylor. This can be seen on companies which still has assembly line in their manufacturing plants. Another example is the practice of job specialisation in fast food chains which are viewed to enhance the productivity of the staff through more accurate and faster services offered (Scientific Management 3). Despite the popularity of scientific management and its application in the global business arena, it also has its own critics. It should be noted that even though scientific management principles "improved productivity in the workplace and had a substantial impact in the industry, they also increased the monotony of work" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 6). In scientific management, the core job dimensions of "skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback" (Frederick Taylor and Scientific Management 6) are all missing in the picture. It can also be deduced that the individuality of a person is not taken into account by this management technique as it does not recognise that the level of efficiency among individuals vary (Scientific Management 7). Thus, the application of a single measure of efficiency is highly flawed. Works Cited "Frederic Taylor and Scientific Management." NetMBA Business Knowledge Center. 2007. 21 May 2007 "Frederick Winslow Taylor." Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia. 7 May 2007. 20 May 2007 < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Winslow_Taylor> "Employee Motivation." Accel Team. 2007. 20 May 2007 "Scientific Management." Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia. 20 May 2007. 20 May 2007 "Taylor, Frederick Winslow: INTRODUCTION." Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Jennifer Gariepy. Vol. 76. Thomson Gale, 1998. Frederick W. Taylor, The Principles of Scientific Management (New York: Harper Bros., 1911): 5-29 Read More