Frederick W.

Taylor, 1856-1915

Frederick Taylor
Born in 20 March 1856 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S. Died in March 15, 1915 (aged 58)Philadelphia, Pennsylvania U.S. efficiency expert & management consultant "Father" of the Scientific management & Efficiency Movement

Taylor's core values: the rule of reason, improved quality, lower costs, higher wages, higher output, labor-management cooperation , experimentation, clear tasks and goals, feedback, training, mutual help and support, stress reduction, and the careful selection and development of people. He was the first to present a systematic study of interactions among job requirements, tools, methods, and human skill, to fit people to jobs both psychologically and physically, and to let data and facts do the talking rather than prejudice, opinions, or egomania.

Early Work
Started as an Apprentice 1878 - Midvale Steel as a Clerk Moved down the company ladder - laborer Role changed almost monthly Keeper of tools, assistant foreman, foreman, master mechanic, director of research, chief engineer of the plan 1880-1883 Engineering at Stephens Institute

Taylors Contributions
Invented Management as a Science Established the job of management as measurement Created middle management Intended SM to cover the whole organization First management consultant (Consultant to Management)

Taylors Contributions
Specified the work method Instructed the operator in that method Maintained standard conditions for performing work Set time standard goals Paid premiums for doing work as specified

Scientific Management by Frederick W. Taylor

Scientific Management or Taylorism was a scientific method which was used to optimize the way in which tasks were performed thus improving the labour productivity. Taylor has defined scientific management as :

Scientific management is concerned with knowing exactly what you want men to do and then see in that they do it in the best and cheapest way. Concerned with improving the operational efficiency at the shop floor level.

 Taylor was appalled by workers inefficiencies. He sought to create a mental revolution among both workers and managers by defining clear guidelines for improving production efficiency. Virtually no standards existed. Workers were placed in jobs with little or no concern for matching their abilities and aptitude with the tasks they required to do. Managers and workers were in a continual conflict.

The General Concept of Scientific Management

Develop a standard method for performing a task and train workers to use these methods. (Managers developed precise procedures based each organizational task) Provide workers with the proper tools needed to work. Selected employees were chosen for specific tasks. (Workers that were stronger both mentally and physically were assigned specific tasks) Wage incentive were provided when output was increased. (Employees were motivated to increase their output with the use of additional benefits

Elements & Tools Of Scientific Management

Separation of planning & Doing Functional foremanship(8 foremans: route clerk, information card clerk, time and
cost clerk, shop disclipirian, gang boss,speed boss,repair boss and inspector. First four are with planning and second four are with production)

Job analysis Standardization Scientific selection & training of workers Financial incentives Economy Mental Revolution

Taylor's scientific managements principles:

Replace rule-of-thumb work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks. Scientifically select, train, and develop each employee rather than passively leaving them to train themselves. Provide "Detailed instruction and supervision of each worker in the performance of that worker's discrete task. Divide work nearly equally between managers and workers, so that the managers apply scientific management principles to planning the work and the workers actually perform the tasks.

Disadvantages of Scientific Management

Workers felt exploited because their social aspect of life was disregarded.
(Workers were treated as machines and not humans)

Management stereotyped workers and did not allow them to prove their skills in other areas. Workers were not allowed to form innovative ways to perform their tasks.

Notable quotations
The principal object of management should be to secure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity of each employee. In the past, the man has been first; in the future the machine must be first. In our scheme, we do not ask 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.