Taylor's Scientific Management

Taylor's Scientific Management

Fredrick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) was a person who within a very short duration (1878-1884) rose from ranks of an ordinary apprentice to chief engineer in Midvale Steel Company, U.S.A. Taylor conducted a number of experiment and came to conclusion that workers were producing much less than the targeted standard task. Also, both the parties - Management and workers are hostile towards each other. He gave a number of suggestions to solve this problem and correctly propounded the theory of scientific management to emphasize the use of scientific approach in managing an enterprise instead of hit and trial method. For his contributions, he is well known as the "Father of the Scientific Management"

Scientific Management attempts to eliminate wastes to ensure maximum production at minimum cost.

Principles of Scientific Management

1.   Science, Not Rule Of Thumb:

There should be scientific study and analysis of each element of a job in order to replace the old rule of thumb approach or hit and miss method. We should be constantly experimenting to develop new techniques which make the work much simpler, easier and quicker.

2.   Harmony, Not discord :

It implies that there should be mental revolution on part of managers and workers in order to respect each other's role and eliminate any class conflict to realize organizational objectives.

(3) Cooperation Not Individualism :

It is an extension of the Principle of Harmony not discord whereby constructive suggestions of workers should be adopted and they should not go on strike as both management and workers share responsibility and perform together.

(4) Development Of Each And Every Person To His Or Her Greatest Efficiency And Prosperity :

It impulse development of competencies of all persons of an organisation after their scientific selection and assigning assigning work suited to their temperament and ability this will increase the productivity by utilising the scale of the worker to the fullest possible extent.