8 Fredrick Taylor And Scientific Management

Dr.Vishal Kumar

7.1  Learning Objective

7.2  Introduction

7.3  Concept of Scientific Management

7.4  Features of Scientific Management

7.5  Objectives of Scientific Management

7.6  Principles of Scientific Management

7.7  Techniques of Scientific Management

7.8  Advantages of Scientific Management

7.9  Criticism of Scientific Management

7.10 Summary

7.1 Learning Objective

After completing this module, you will be able to:

i. Understand the meaning of scientific management

ii. Understand the features of scientific management

iii. Know about various objectives and principles of scientific management, and also

iv.Understand various techniques of scientific management & criticism of scientific management

FREDRICK TAYLOR AND SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

7.2 Introduction

In the early eighteenth century when the production was affected by industrial revolution, the management people wanted to increase their production. Big factories with decentralization of authority and functions, and diversified activities emerged at a very fast rate. The management concepts and theories were in the process of evolution and development in the early 20th century. During this age of evolution it was strongly felt to make the optimum utilization of sources of production especially, men, materials and machinery. This concept of optimal utilization made even the technical persons like engineers, gang boss and machine operators to think of more meaningful and systematic ways and means to work. This process of thinking led to the origin of a new branch of management known as Scientific Management”.

The concept of scientific management was introduced by Fredetick Taylor in USA in beginning of 20th Century. This concept was further carried on by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, Henry Gantt, George Berth, Edward Felen, etc. F.W, Taylor, the Father of Scientific Management, was born in 1856 in USA. He initially joined Midvale Steel Works as an apprentice and reached to the level of Chief Engineer. Taylor was a keen observer he observed that machine functions need to be performed in more systematic and organized ways. He conducted several experiments on working methods and on the styles of functioning. He found that greater output was possible through systematization and standardization of methods of doing work .The technique of managements is identified by Taylor through trial and error method. Nobody except F.W.Taylor devotes any attention to finding the exact nature of the work to be done or the best way to do it. Taylor had conducted many experiments to find out how the workers could be made more efficient. These experiments help to improve the very essence of Scientific Management.

7.3 Concept of Scientific Management

Scientific Management may be described as different from Conventional management and Systematic management.In the beginning of 20th century there were lot of changes in the economic social and technological environment and both Conventional management and Systematic management were unable to cop up with the expectations and requirements.Conventional management entails the acceptance of a method from the practices and methods already developed by others. So the selection of method is depending upon the guess work or intuition of the manager.

On the other hand, Systematic management entails collection and classification of records of past practices and then selects the most suitable practice on the basis of its past performance. The term scientific management is the combination of two words i.e. scientific and management. The word “Scientific” means systematic, analytical and objective approach while “management” means getting things done through others. So Scientific Management may be defined as the process of evaluating and resolving problems coming in the way of achieving desired objectives in a given situation. Scientific Management involves a process of scientific selection and training of right workers for the right job. It emphasized to provide adequate working conditions and on a system of monetary incentives to efficient workers and assumption of responsibilities by managers and supervisors.

Henry Lawerence Gantt, Harrington Emerson and Frank Bunker Gilbreth were others who contributed to the concept of Scientific Management. Henry Lawerence Gantt was the contemporary of Taylor. He was very much impressed by the philosophy of Taylor. He developed two concepts of (a) humanism and (b) task and bonus plan. The other notable contribution made by Gantt was the development of the ‘daily balance chart’ which is popularly known as Gantt chart.

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Taylor was the first person to conduct and motion study. F.B.Gilbreth followed him. He made a deep study of motions him used by men in relation to work and tools used and the motions involved. Gilbreth stressed minimum motionand avoidance of unnecessary motions to discover the best way of doing a job. Gilbreth was of the view that unnecessary motions waste much of the efforts of the workers. Gilbreth found 18 basic elements in all work through the analysis of several methods of work. He observed these elements by using flow process charts. He called these elements as “Therbligs”. It is just the name of Gilbreth spelled backward.

According to F.W. Taylor, “Scientific Management is the substitution of exact scientific investigations and knowledge for the old individual judgment or opinion in all matters relating to the work done in the shop.”

7.4 Features of Scientific Management

F.W.Taylor has conducted many experiments to find out how the workers could be made more efficient. These experiments help to improve the very essence of scientific management. Scientific management has the following features:

• Approach: It is a systematic, analytical and objective approach to solve industrial problems.
• Economy: The basis of scientific management is economy. For implementing economy, all the unnecessary elements of production are eliminated and a sincere effort is made to achieve optimum production at the minimum cost.
• A Definite plan: The main characteristic of scientific management is that before starting and work there must be a definite plan before as and the work is to be done strictly according to that plan.
• Discards old methods: It discards the age old methods of rule of thumb and hit or miss approaches.
• Emphasis: It lays emphasis on all factors of production, men, material and technology.
• Techniques: It implies scientific techniques in methods of work, recruitment, selection and training of workers.
• Attempts: It attempts to develop each man to his greatest efficiency and prosperities.
• Method: It attempts to discover the best method of doing a work at the cheapest cost.

A definite Aim: It is another main characteristic of scientific management. Scientific management is the process of organizing, directing, conducting and controlling human activities. Hence there must be a definite aim before the managers, so that the human activities be organized directed conducted and controlled for achieving that aim or aims.

Changes in attitude: It involves a complete change in the mental attitude of workers as well as the management.

A Set of Rules: There must be a set of rules in accordance with the laid plan so that the objectives can be achieved. According to F.W. Taylor, It is no single element but rather the whole combination that constitutes the scientific management.

7.5 Objectives of Scientific Management

In the times when the concepts of scientific management were evolving, it was supposed to serve the following objectives:

• The basic aim of scientific management is to increase production throughstandardization and systematization of methods, procedures, and tool.
• Taylor believed that development of one best way to perform any job leads to standardization of methods. So he stressed on standardization of methods.
• Scientific management aims at reducing the wastage and losses in the process of production. In his opinion systematic and scientific production methods and techniques reduce waste and loss of materials.
• Scientific management emphasis on the improvement of quality control. Quality standards are sought to be maintained by inspection, research and quality control measures.
• In scientific management various cost control techniques are adopted in order to reduce the cost of production.
• It aims at best possible placement, i.e. right person is put on the right job.
• Scientific management follows task and bonus plans. It means wages are to be incentive oriented, i.e. production linked.
• The aim of scientific management is to ensure a regular supply of goods to the consumer at reasonable prices.

7.6Principles of Scientific Management

Taylor’s scientific management was based on the following five sound principles which may be considered rational and objective. These principles will not only remove the subjective element in decision making but will provide a sound basis for taking bold and firm decisions.

1. Standard and specifications: Taylor advised to lay down proper standards and specifications, before executing any task. All products manufactured and services performed should confirm to those standards which carry consumer preferences.
2. Research: Taylor suggested replacement of Rule of Thumb by research to arrive at objective basis for decision making. The problem should be clearly perceived in all its dimensions, and then analyzed and thereafter scrutiny arrives at a method of accomplishing the result. In this principle the emphasis is on scientific decision making based on cause and effect and the scientific measurements of the methods. According to Taylor, if proper research conducted then objectives of the organization can be achieved in a better way and it helps in better utilization of available resources, skill and budget.
3. Planning: Proper planning should be done to ensure the minimum waste. This principle helps in achieving the maximum output and maximum profits by reducing the cost or minimizes the wastage. The success of every venture primarily depends upon the proper planning.
4. Control: Control is an important element of management. It is a technique which may reduce the variations between planning and performance.\Cooperation: Taylor felt that business enterprise is a cooperative venture of worker and management and it is possible only when both leave the path of confrontation, both have respect for one another and both are partners in decision making process. So Taylor gave a concept of, “a complete mental revolution”. According to Taylor, substitution of war for peace, hearty and brotherly cooperation for discontentment and strife, replacement of suspicious watchfulness with mutual confidence of becoming friend instead of enemies result in cooperation. Mutual understanding and change in thinking are the factors necessary for cooperation.

7.7 Techniques of Scientific Management

In order to facilitate the application of principles of scientific management, Taylor suggested the use of a few techniques. Some of the more important techniques are discussed below:

Time Study: The technique of time study is used to measure the time taken by an average worker to perform a job.

Motion Study: The technique of motion study is used to observe the movements of the body and limbs of a worker required to perform a job

Functional  foremanship:  To  improve  the  quality  of  supervision  of  workers,  Taylor suggested  the  technique  if  functional  foremanship.  This  concept  is  based  on  the specialization of functions performed at supervision level.Under the functional foremanship system, there are eight persons. Out of eight persons, four persons are concerned with planning. They are Route clerk, instruction card clerk, time and cost clerk and disciplinarian. The remaining four persons are concerned with the executive function. They are speed boss, inspector, and maintenance foreman and gang boss.

Standardization: The technique is used to introduce standard quality trade tools and equipment, raw-materials and to provide standard working conditions at the workplace.

Differential piece-rate plan: To differentiate between the efficient and inefficient workers and also to motivate them to produce higher levels of output, Taylor suggested the use of differential piece-rate plan in organizations.

Work Study: Work study means an objective and systematic observation of each step or operation of a work. Work study tries to minutely observe each process and part thereof to decide if the work is performed in a systematic and scientific manner or not. Work study includes Method study, Motion Study, Time Study and Fatigue Study.

Method Study: Method study aims at minimizing the cost of production by using a better, optimal mix of resources. It seeks to decide the best method of doing a job. It helps in reducing the transportation, storage, handling cost of raw materials and goods.

MotionStudy: Motion study refers to the study of movements like lifting, putting objects, sitting and changing positions etc. which are undertaken while doing a typical job. Unnecessary movements are sought to be eliminated so that it takes less time to complete the job efficiently.

Time Study: It determines the standard time taken to perform a well-defined job. The standard time is fixed for the whole of the task by taking several readings. The method of time study will depend upon the volume and frequency of the task, the cycle time of the operation and time measurement costs. The objective of time study is to determine the number of workers to be employed, frame suitable incentive schemes and determine labour costs.

Fatigue Study: This study aims at providing proper rest interval to the employees to increase the effectiveness of the work. Fatigue study seeks to determine the amount and frequency of rest intervals in completing a task.

7.8 Advantages of Scientific Management

• Improved working conditions: Scientific management lays emphasis on improving actual working conditions, e.g., ventilation, lighting, working space, work hours etc.
• Improved standard of living: Scientific management aims at higher profits which in turn lead to better wages. The process in turn thus helps to improve the standard of living of workers.
• Improved standard of living: Scientific management aims at higher profits which in turn lead to better wages. The process in turn thus helps to improve the standard of living of workers.
• Productivity linked wages: Differential piece rate means better wages for better performer. The higher the performances the better are the wages. It helps the workers to improve their efficiency.
• Improved relations: Cooperation and mutual coordination helps better relations amongst management and workers and also within workers.
• Better training: Scientific selection helps to improve the standard of training. Training is designed to enable a person to suit the job requirements. It advocates scientific training for employees.
• Better education level: Adoption of scientific and systematic techniques makes workmen aware and conscious of latest methods and techniques. This awareness helps to motivate worker’s inclination for formal education.
• General economic prosperity: The mental revolution develops better coordination and productivity. Profitability is also improved. Standard of living of worker is also improved. It thus helps to improve general prosperity.
• Economic prosperity: Industrial peace and welfare- cooperation, mutual trust, and confidence help in augmenting peace and welfare in industry.

7.9 Criticism of Scientific Management

F.W.Taylor was the father of Scientific Management. He has made many contributions in the field of Management. He has applied the principles of Scientific Management for the very first to solve the problems of Management. He was also the first person who supported mental revolution both on the part of the employer and worker. Scientific Management is, however severely criticized on the following grounds:

Taylor’s belief that economic incentives are strong enough to motivate workers for increased production is wrong. No man is entirely an ‘economic man’, that is a man’s behavior is not always dictated by his financial needs. He has many other needs too, such as security needs, social needs or egoist needs which motivate him far more potently than his desire for money, at least after he has risen above the starvation level.

The term scientific refers to something new. People raised their voice against the use of word Scientific before the management the reason is that F.W.Taylor does not find anything new in management. Taylor had only made scientific approach to management.

He laid much emphasis on production management. But, he does not give any weightage to financial management, sales management, management accounting and the like.

According to Taylor, maximum productivity is achieved only through employing first class workers. In practice, all the workers cannot be expected to be excellent.

Taylor’s time and motion study is not purely scientific. This is because two time studies done by separate worker may time the same job entirely differently. There is no such thing as “one best way” so far as the component motions are concerned, because two workers cannot be expected to do the same work in the same manner at the same rhythm, with the same attention and the same learning speed. It was argued that the time study, motion study, fatigue study standardization of wagw rates etc. were not scientifically measured.

Taylor’s scientific management emphasis the management of only muscular tasks at the floor level and neglect the areas of problem solving and decision making, which are the key importance at the other managerial levels.

Conducive working conditions are provided to increase workersefficiency. The standard regarding output, wages and working conditions are fixed. Increasing the efficiency of workers results in increasing the wages, whereas the importance and the role of the trade union is reduced to some extent.

Wages are paid according to piece rate system under the scientific system. This system benefits the experienced and efficient workers. New workers and the inefficient workers do not derive any benefits from this system. This creates a sense of insecurity of job in the minds of workers in general.

The introduction of scientific management is an expensive one. Standardization of tools and equipments and working conditions involves heavy expenditure. The wages of workers have to be increased to reward efficient performance. Taylor has separated planning function form the executive function. Hence, it is necessary to appoint separate staff member for the planning function and executive function. This will increase the administrative expenditure of the management.

In Scientific Management, the workers are working under strict control and supervision. Any change in the method of production and working environment are opposed by the workers. Advances in methods and better tools and machines eliminated some workers, who found it difficult to get other job this caused resentment among them.

In spite of above criticisms Taylors scientific management was supported by Henry L. Gantt, Carl B, Frank B. and Lillian M Gilbreth.

7.10 Summary

Scientific Management is an approach that emphasis the use of scientific methods in making decisions and taking action on organizational problems and situations. So, scientific management discards the traditional method of Trial-and-error to manage organizations. Rather scientific management develops a rational basis for determining standard output of work, selecting and training workers, maintaining close cooperation between management and the workers and bringing maximum prosperity and happiness for the management and workers. In order to facilitate the application of principles of scientific management, Taylor also suggested the use of a few techniques such as time study, motion study, method study and fatigue study. To differentiate between efficient and inefficient worker he also introduced differential piece-rate plan.

Suggested Readings

• Ziarab Mahmood and Muhammad Bashara (2012), “Review of Classical Management Theories” International Journal of Social Sciences and Education, ISSN: 2223-4934 Volume: 2 Issue: 1, January 2012.
• Gatewood, Taylor & Ferrell (1995), Management: Comprehension, Analysis, and Application.
• Arun Kumar and R. Sharma, Principles of Business Management. Sherlerkar and Sherlerkar, Principles of Management
• B.P. Singh, Business Management and Organizations
• Stephen P Robbins, David A Decanzo, Fundamentals of Management, 3rd Edition, Pearson Education, 2002.
• VSP Rao, V Hari Krishna, Management- Text and Cases, Excel Books, 2002.
• P CTripathi, P N Reddy, Principles of Management, 4th Edition, Tata McGraw- Hill, 2008.
• Encyclopaedia of Management, op., p. 866.
• Frederick Winslaw Taylor, Principles of scientific Management, harper and Bros., New York, 1911, pp. 36-37.
• Scientific Management in American Society, ed., R.S. person, Harper and Bros, New York, 1929.