Scientific Management Theory PDF

Preview

Summary

One of the most prominent ideas of organisation is the 'Scientific Management Theory.' Following the Western Industrial Revolution, a new period of high industrialization, mass production, and the use of expensive machinery came in, causing stresses in the employee-employer relationship. This necess...

Description

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT THEORY- F.W. TAYLOR INTRODUCTION One of the most prominent ideas of organisation is the 'Scientific Management Theory.' Following the Western Industrial Revolution, a new period of high industrialization, mass production, and the use of expensive machinery came in, causing stresses in the employee-employer relationship. This necessitated the development of appropriate strategies and ideas for dealing with the escalating management issues. This trend has been accelerating from the early 1900s, where the customary Management practises were challenged, and correct scientific management principles were pushed. Management practises were challenged, and correct scientific management principles were pushed. In the sense that new concepts and practises were taking root and a body of management principles was evolving, this has been dubbed the "Scientific Management" era. Frederick Taylor, who began his career as an apprentice in a tiny machinery-making factory in Philadelphia, was the founder of the Scientific Management Movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Several predecessors of Taylor employed scientific management techniques, but it was Taylor who provided a comprehensive framework that could be widely applied and accepted. Concept of Scientific Management Scientific management refers to the use of scientific concepts in all types of organisations, including our homes, farms, large and small businesses, philanthropic organisations, government departments, and industries. The overall purpose of scientific management is to raise an organization's overall efficiency by employing scientific procedures and methods such as planning, observation, measuring incentives such as a high wage, standardisation of working practises, and the use of scientific tools of work. Scientific management is a concept that analyses and synthesises work flow with the goal of increasing economic efficiency and labour productivity. The notion aims to include science into the management process. Background of Scientific Management Theory Scientific management theory, often known as classical management theory, was first proposed in the early 1900s.

of the twentieth century The following were the circumstances that led to the development of such a theory: a) Factory conditions at the time were unplanned. b) The workers were given the freedom to choose their own work modes. c) Even the factory owners failed to equip them with the necessary tools for the job. As a result, they purchased their own tools, regardless of whether or not they were appropriate. Scientific management arose as a new philosophy of management as a result of persons in administrative positions' indifferent attitude toward work practises. The father of scientific management, F.W. Taylor, is widely regarded. Fredrick Winslow Taylor, an engineer by training, was the first to promote the use of methodical and scientific approaches to solve management problems and boost industrial efficiency. Though Taylor is often considered as the father of scientific management, Louis Brandies was the first to use the notion in 1910. Taylor began to use the term "scientific management" from that point forward. "Management is a legitimate science, based on clearly set laws, rules, and concepts that command applicability in all types of organisations," Taylor said. In 1909, F.W. Taylor released "The Principles of Scientific Management," in which he clearly asserted that production would only rise if occupations were optimised and streamlined. He also proposed that each work be broken down into components and the time required to complete each component part be determined in order to discover the most effective and efficient technique of working. Taylor believed that applying scientific methods to organisational problems would result in increased industrial efficiency. Again, if a larger wage is offered as an incentive, it will result in increased productivity.Increased productivity Taylor thought that money motivates all workers, thus he advocated for a "fair day's compensation" for a "fair day's work." This meant that if a worker did not meet his daily productivity criteria, he did not deserve to be paid as much as a highly productive worker. Aims of Scientific Management The following are the goals of scientific management: Increased Output: Increased production rate through the use of standardised tools, equipment, and techniques.

Quality Control: Research, quality control, and inspection devices are used to improve the output quality. Cost Reduction: Cost reduction achieved by rational planning, regulation, and cost management measures. Waste Elimination: Waste elimination in the use of resources and industrial procedures. Right Man for the Job: Scientific selection and training lead to the placement of the right person in the right job. Incentive Wages: Paying workers based on how productive they are. Principles of Scientific Management According to F.W. Taylor, the following are the scientific management principles: Using the scientific technique to research the work and decide the most successful method, relying on basic habit and common sense is what a rule of thumb is for. Functional specialisation: Taylor believes it is critical to match workers to their tasks depending on their abilities,and motivation, as well as training, in order to achieve optimal productivity. Rather than assigning any task to any employee, it is critical to allocate them work that is best suited to them. Taylor championed the concept of monitoring workers' performance and providing them with instructions and supervision when needed to guarantee that they are working productively. Work allocation: According to Taylor, work should be divided between workers and management. While managers should be involved in planning and training efforts, workers should be permitted to focus on their jobs. Objectives of Scientific Management The Scientific Management philosophy has the following objectives: Standardization of working conditions: this includes identifying the best way to do the work, using the right tools, and techniques in order to achieve productivity. Standardization of work methods: this includes identifying the best way to do the work, using the right tools, and techniques in order to achieve productivity. Standardization of work procedures is necessary in order to achieve faster and more efficient results. Every task should be researched scientifically in order to increase productivity or lower unit costs. For this

reason, each employee should be assigned a specific daily duty. If a worker's output reaches an optimal level under ideal conditions, the worker should be rewarded; if he fails to raise output, sanctions should be enforced. Planning entails creating a blueprint for the job ahead of time. To increase efficiency and productivity, staff should be selected, placed, and trained in a scientific manner.Economy. The best personnel should be assigned to the tasks for which they are most qualified. Equal Work Division Between Management and Labor: Taylor is a firm believer in equal work division between management and workers. During his tenure there, he discovered that staff were overworked and overburdened with obligations. The management should be responsible for at least half of the projects. Motion analysis: this entails observing all of the motions that make up a certain work and identifying the best set of motions. Time study: a strategy for determining the time content of a job, i.e. how long does it take to complete a task. Differential piece rate plan: Taylor believed that a standard time for accomplishing a given piece of work could be determined through time and motion studies. Taylor pushed for two rates under this plan: those who produced inside the standard time would be paid more, while those who took longer than the standard time would be paid less. The goal of this strategy was to keep the "high performer" while letting the "poor performer" go. CRITICISMS AGAINST THE SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT THEORY Taylor's scientific management theory is critiqued for the following reasons: Taylor's approach is mechanical in character and excludes the human perspective because productivity is Taylor's top objective. He is oblivious to the reality that humans are psychological and emotional beings, not robots. Taylor's theory is exploitative in nature since it places an excessive emphasis on productivity and revenue. This leads to employee exploitation. Scientific concepts place undue pressure on workers to execute their jobs efficiently. Individualistic in nature: Taylor's definition of high performer and low performer reflects the fact that he places an excessive amount of emphasis on individual performance rather than group performance. In actuality, however, it is clear that every organization's success is dependent on collaborative teamwork rather than individual effort.

Oversimplification of employee motivation: Taylor believes that an employee is simply motivated by a large salary, which is completely incorrect. Taylor believed that if workers were simply driven by money gain, they would work more efficiently. However, in fact, social and personal needs are just as vital as money advantages. Regardless of the constraints, Taylor deserves credit for his concern and efforts to improve an organization's efficiency and output. The scientific management theory is one of the first management ideas, emerging at a period when industry productivity needs were at an all-time high. Taylor then proposed a theory to increase industrial efficiency and production by employing the most up-to-date scientific methodologies to complete jobs. A lot of industrialists tested this notion and found it to be effective. This theory provided the way for other management theories to emerge, which aided in the construction of the administration. Scientific Management, according to Taylor, has two dimensions: mechanical and philosophical. Taylor introduces time and motion studies, standardisation of tools, procedures, and working conditions, and a differential piece-rate system for wage payment, among other things, on the mechanical side. On the other side, he attempts to establish management science based on methodical inquiry and experimentation through a philosophical perspective. The benefits of Scientific Management Theory are summarised in the following points: For each part of man's labour, scientific approaches are replacing ancient ruleof-thumb methods, and the theory emphasises effective worker selection and training. The idea stressed the importance of a healthy relationship between workers and management, as well as an equal division of tasks between workers and management. The theory also introduced the standardisation of tools, equipment, materials, and work procedures. The Scientific Management approach has also made it possible to provide larger incentives to workers in exchange for increased output. LET US SUM UP Scientific management refers to the use of scientific concepts in all types of organisations, including our homes, farms, and businesses, large and small, philanthropic institutions, government departments, and industries.

The overall goal of scientific management is to increase an organization's overall efficiency by using scientific techniques and methods such as planning, observation, measurement incentives such as a high wage, standardisation of working methods, and the use of scientific tools of work. Scientific management is a concept that analyses and synthesises work flow with the goal of increasing economic efficiency and labour productivity. The notion aims to include science into the management process. Scientific management theory, often known as classical management theory, was developed at the turn of the twentieth century. Scientific management arose as a new philosophy of management as a result of persons in administrative positions' indifferent attitude toward work practises. Taylor is known as the "Father of Scientific Management." Fredrick Winslow Taylor, an engineer by training, was the first to promote the use of methodical and scientific approaches to solve management problems and boost industrial efficiency. Despite the fact that Taylor is considered as the pioneer of scientific management, Louis Brandies was the first to use the concept in 1910. Taylor began to use the term "scientific management" from that point forward. "Management is a true science," Taylor said, "lying on clearly set laws, norms, and principles that command applicability in all types of organisations." In 1909, Taylor wrote "The Principles of Scientific Management," in which he clearly claimed that productivity would only rise if tasks were optimised and streamlined. Despite the fact that Taylor is credited with being the inventor of scientific management, Louis Brandies was the first to use the concept in 1910. From that point on, Taylor began to use the term "scientific management." "Management is a legitimate science," Taylor explained, "based on clearly established laws, conventions, and principles that apply to all types of organisations." Taylor published "The Principles of Scientific Management" in 1909, in which he stated unequivocally that productivity would only increase if duties were reduced and optimised. Taylor anticipated that applying scientific methods to organisational problems would result in increased industrial efficiency. Again, providing an incentive of a greater wage will result in increased productivity. Taylor believed that money

motivates all workers, so he promoted the concept of "fair day" pay for "fair day's work," which meant that if a worker did not meet his daily productivity requirements, he did not deserve to be paid as much as a highly productive worker. F.W. Taylor identified the following concepts of scientific management: Rule of thumb, Functional specialisation, Monitoring, and Work Allocation. Taylor's scientific management theory is critiqued on the following grounds: Taylor's approach is mechanical in character because production is his top objective. He is oblivious to the reality that humans are psychological and emotional beings, not robots. Because Taylor's theory places an excessive emphasis on production and revenue, it leads to employee exploitation. Scientific concepts place undue pressure on workers to execute their jobs efficiently. The concept of a high performer and a low performer illustrates Taylor's tendency to place too much emphasis on individual performance rather than group performance. In actuality, however, it is clear that every organization's success is dependent on collaborative teamwork rather than individual effort....