SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT – 4 ways to ensure what you want men to do, and seeing that they do it the best

“Scientific Management means knowing exactly what you want men to do and seeing that they do it in the best and cheapest way”

• W. Taylor

The Classical approach to Management has been divided into three parts: Bureaucracy, Scientific Management and Administrative Theory. Scientific Management approach was given by Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915), also known as the ‘Father of Scientific Management’. He believed that the shop floor jobs could be done in a more systematic manner to increase productivity. It was sub divided as follows:

1. Principle of Scientific Management
2. Techniques of Scientific Management

THE FOUR PRINCIPLES

1. SCIENCE, NOT RULE OF THUMB: According to this principle, there exists only one technical, efficiency maximising method to do a job. It can be discovered through study and analysis thus eliminating rule of thumb, i.e., hit and trial method. It is very beneficial because it saves time and human resources. Thus, a firm can produce more with fewer resources. As the depth of the scientific analysis increases, the efficiency gets higher.
2. HARMONY, NOT DISCORD: Taylor believed that there must be absolute agreement between the management and the workers. In the long run, both parties could not achieve the organisational goals without each other’s help. There implied a need for MENTAL REVOLUTION, i.e., a change of attitude of the managers and the workers from opposition to cooperation. Managers must be willing to reward their workers satisfactorily and in return the workers must perform their duties with utmost sincerity and discipline.
3. COOPERATION, NOT INDIVIDUALISM: This principle is an extension of Harmony, not discord. It states that team interests must be placed above the individual interests of both, the managers as well as the workers. They should work with complete cooperation. Also, work and responsibility must be divided equally among the managers and workers. Together, they must aim to achieve job specialization.
4. DEVELOPMENT OF EACH AND EVERY PERSON TO HIS/HER GREATEST EFFICIENCY AND PROSPERITY: This principle states that every person working in organisation must be selected wisely and should be given a specific job according to his/her mental & physical capacity. Proper training inculcating the best way to do a job must be given. This would lead to higher productivity directly implying greater earnings for an employee. It would ensure that all employees would work to the fullest of their capacity hence leading to their prosperity.

These principles make the job of a manager easier and help to bridge the gap between supervisors and workers. An organisation will always benefit if it is able implement them.

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