Scientific Management

Frederick W. Taylor
(1856-1915)

 

HOW TO IMPROVE PRODUCTION


 TIME AND MOTION STUDIES

PIECE-RATE SYSTEM OF COMPENSATION

SYSTEMATIC SELECTION AND TRAINING

NEW ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE



WHY SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

SKILLED WORKERS UNDERSTAND THEIR JOBS BETTER THAN MANAGEMENT

MANAGEMENT USES RULES OF THUMB/GUESSWORK

WORKERS ABUSE MANAGEMENT TRUST

  • NATURAL SOLDIERING - TAKING IT EASY
  • SYSTEMATIC SOLDIERING - PERFORMING TO AN UNWRITTEN NORM WHICH IS LOWER THAN THE WRITTEN ONE
Hardly a competent worker can be found in a large establishment, who does not devote a considerable part of his time to studying just how slowly he can work and still convince his employer that he is going at a good pace (quoted in Robert Kanigel, The One Best Way: 171).

ON THEIR OWN, WORKERS CANNOT DEVELOP THE SCIENTIFIC WAY OF DOING THEIR JOBS



THE RABBLE HYPOTHESIS

SOCIETY CONSISTS OF A HORDE OF UNORGANIZED INDIVIDUALS

EVERY INDIVIDUAL ACTS IN A MANNER CALCULATED TO SECURE ONE'S SELF INTEREST (i.e., maximum money for minimum effort at work)

EVERY INDIVIDUAL THINKS LOGICALLY, TO THE BEST OF ONE'S ABILITY, IN THE SERVICE OF THIS AIM



TAYLORISM

SCIENCE, NOT A RULE OF THUMB

HARMONY, NOT DISCORD

COOPERATION, NOT INDIVIDUALISM

MAXIMUM OUTPUT, NOT SOLDIERING

THE DEVELOPMENT OF EACH WORKER TO THE WORKER'S MAXIMUM PHYSICAL CAPABILITY
 

In our scheme, we do not ask for the initiative of our men.  We do not want any initiative.  All we want of them is to obey the orders we give them, do what we say, and do it quick (Kanigel: 169)

 



SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

DIVORCE OF PLANNING AND EXECUTION; CENTRALIZED PLANNING

SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF EACH DISTINCT OPERATION

DETAILED INSTRUCTION AND SUPERVISION

UNCOUPLE DIRECT AND INDIRECT WORK

SYSTEMATIC RECRUITING OF MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY FIT MEN

FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT/FOREMANSHIP:

  • SETTING-UP BOSS
  • SPEED BOSS
  • QUALITY INSPECTOR
  • REPAIR BOSS

PIECE-RATE SYSTEM OF COMPENSATION

 



HOW TO READ TAYLOR

SM IS A PHILOSOPHY AND A SET OF PRINCIPLES

TAYLOR CHANGED THE DISCOURSE OF MANAGEMENT BY ASKING NEW QUESTIONS.  NOT, HOW LONG DID A JOB TAKE TO COMPLETE BUT, HOW LONG SHOULD IT TAKE?  WHAT WERE THE MEN CAPABLE OF? WHAT WAS POSSIBLE? WHAT WAS THE IDEAL TO WHICH ANY HUMAN PERFORMANCE MUST BE COMPARED?

SM RENDERS WORKERS CONTROLLABLE, MANAGEABLE, REPLACEABLE - A POLITICAL ELEMENT

SM BUREAUCRATIZES THE STRUCTURE OF CONTROL, BUT DOES NOT DO THE SAME TO THE EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP

SM RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION, GAINING WORKER CONSENT, AND DEVELOPING SHARED MANAGEMENT-WORKER UNDERSTANDINGS

SM EMPHASIZES A PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE BETWEEN CAPITAL, MANAGEMENT, AND LABOR

TRUST IS LIMITED - TEAMWORK IS STRICTLY LIMITED

SM CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN MORE THAN ONE WAY

SM IS A "THOUGHT REVOLUTION IN MANAGEMENT"
When, however, the elements of this mechanism, such as time study, functional foremanship, etc., are used without being accompanied by the true philosophy of management, the results are in many cases disastrous... the really great problem involved in a change from the management of "initiative and incentive" to Scientific Management consists in a complete revolution in the mental attitude and the habits of all those engaged in the management, as well as the workmen... This change in the mental attitude of the workman imperatively demands time... The writer has over and over again warned against those who contemplated making this change that it was a matter, even in a simple establishment, of from two to three years, and that in some cases it requires from four to five years (Taylor, pp. 130-1. My emphases).

 
MANAGEMENT SHOULD LISTEN TO ITS EMPLOYEES
It is true that with scientific management the workman is not allowed to use whatever implements and methods he sees fit in the daily practise of his work.  Every encouragement, however, should be given him to suggest improvements, both in methods and in implements.  And whenever a workman proposes an improvement, it should be the policy of the management to make a careful analysis of the new method, and if necessary conduct a series of experiments to determine accurately the relative merit of the new suggestion and of the old standard.  And whenever the new method is found to be markedly superior to the old, it should be adopted as the new standard for the whole establishment.  The workman should be given the full credit for the imporvement, and should be paid a cash premium as a reward for his ingenuity (Taylor, p. 128).

 

 

TAYLORISM IN ACTION

HIERARCHICAL WORK SYSTEM

CONTINUOUS FLOW TECHNOLOGY

HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION

STANDARDIZED CONSUMER GOODS

UNIFORM MARKETS/CONSUMERS

UNSKILLED FRONT-LINE WORKERS

SPECIALIZATION

NO LEARNING EXPERIENCE

LITTLE, ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

PIECE-RATE SYSTEM OF COMPENSATION