2/1/2015

CompetitiveExams:ClassicalApproachExamrace

Classicalmanagementthoughtcanbedividedintothreeseparateschools:Scientificmanagement,administrativetheoryand
bureaucraticmanagement.Classicaltheoristsformulatedprinciplesforsettingupandmanagingorganizations.Theseviewsarelabeled
classicalbecausetheyformthefoundationforthefieldofmanagementthought.Themajorcontributorstothethreeschoolsof
managementthoughtscientificmanagement,administrativetheoryandbureaucraticmanagementareFrederickW.Taylor,HenryFayol
andMaxWeberrespectively.

ScientificManagement
Scientificmanagementbecameincreasinglypopularintheearly1900S .Intheearly19thcentury,scientificmanagementwasdefinedas
thatkindofmanagementwhichconductsabusinessoraffairsbystandardsestablished,byfactsortruthsgainedthroughsystematic
observation,experiment,orreasoning.Inotherwords,itisaclassicalmanagementapproachthatemphasizesthescientificstudyof
workmethodstoimprovetheefficiencyoftheworkers.SomeoftheearliestadvocatesofscientificmanagementwereFrederickW.
Taylor(18561915),FrankGilbreth(18681924),LillianGilbreth(18781972),andHenryGantt(18611919).

FrederickWinslowTaylor
FrederickWinslowTaylortookupHenryTowne'schallengetodevelopprinciplesofscientificmanagement.Taylor,consideredfatherof
scientificmanagement,wroteThePrinciplesofScientificManagementin1911.Anengineerandinventor,Taylorfirstbeganto
experimentwithnewmanagerialconceptsin1878whileemployedattheMidvaleSteelCo.AtMidvale,hisrisefromlaborertochief
engineerwithin6yearsgavehimtheopportunitytotackleagraveissuefacedbytheorganizationthesoldieringproblem.Soldiering
referstothepracticeofemployeesdeliberatelyworkingatapaceslowerthantheircapabilities.AccordingtoTaylor,workersindulgein
soldieringforthreemainreasons:
1. Workersfearedthatiftheyincreasedtheirproductivity,otherworkerswouldlosetheirjobs.
2. Faultywagesystemsemployedbytheorganizationencouragedthemtoworkataslowpace.
3. Outdatedmethodsofworkinghandeddownfromgenerationtogenerationledtoagreatdealofwastedefforts.
FourStepsinScientificManagement
Step

Description

Step
1

Developascienceforeachelementofthejobtoreplaceoldruleofthumb
methods.

Step
2

Scientificallyselectemployeesandthentrainthemtodothejobas
describedinStep1.

Step
3

Superviseemployeestomakesuretheyfollowtheprescribedmethodsfor
performingtheirjobs.

Step
4

Continuetoplantheworkbutuseworkerstoactuallygettheworkdone.

Essence
Inessence,scientificmanagementaspropoundedbyTayloremphasizes:
1. Needfordevelopingascientificwayofperformingeachjob.
2. Trainingandpreparingworkerstoperformthatparticularjob.
3. Establishingharmoniousrelationsbetweenmanagementandworkerssothatthejobisperformedinthedesiredway.
FrankandLillianGilbreth
AfterTaylor,FrankandLillianGilbrethmadenumerouscontributionstotheconceptofscientificmanagement.FrankGilbreth(1868
1924)isconsideredthefatherofmotionstudy.LillianGilbreth(18781972)wasassociatedwiththeresearchpertainingtomotion
studies.Motionstudyinvolvesfindingoutthebestsequenceandminimumnumberofmotionsneededtocompleteatask.Frankand
LillianGilbrethweremainlyinvolvedinexploringnewwaysforeliminatingunnecessarymotionsandreducingworkfatigue.
TheGilbrethsdevisedaclassificationschemetolabelseventeenbasichandmotionssuchassearch,select,position,andholdwhichthey
usedtostudytasksinanumberofindustries.These17motions,whichtheycalledtherbligs(Gilbrethspelledbackwardwiththe'tand
h'transposed),allowedthemtoanalyzetheexactelementsofaworker'shandmovements.FrankGilbrethalsodevelopedthe
micromotionstudy.Amotionpicturecameraandaclockmarkedoffinhundredthsofsecondswasusedtostudymotionsmadeby
workersastheyperformedtheirtasks.Heisbestknownforhisexperimentsinreducingthenumberofmotionsinbricklaying.By
carefullyanalyzingthebricklayer'sjob,hewasabletoreducethemotionsinvolvedinbricklayingfrom18to4.Usinghisapproach,
workersincreasedthenumberofbrickslaidperdayfrom1000to2700(perhouritwentupfrom120to350bricks)withoutexerting
themselves.
Lillian'sdoctoralthesis(publishedintheearly1900SasThePsychologyofManagement)wasoneoftheearliestworkswhichappliedthe
findingsofpsychologytothemanagementoforganizations.Shehadgreatinterestinthehumanimplicationsofscientificmanagement
andfocusedherattentionondesigningmethodsforimprovingtheefficiencyofworkers.Shecontinuedherinnovativeworkevenafter
Frank'sdeathin1924,andbecameaprofessorofmanagementatPurdueUniversity.Lillianwasthefirstwomantogaineminenceasa
majorcontributortothedevelopmentofmanagementasascience.Inrecognitionofhercontributionstoscientificmanagement,she
receivedtwentytwohonorarydegrees.

data:text/htmlcharset=utf8,%3Cp%20style%3D%22margin%3A%205px%200px%200px%3B%20padding%3A%200px%3B%20verticalalign%3A%20baseline%3B%20fontsize%3A%2014px%3B%20lineheight%3A%2020px%3

1/1