Scientific management, which is also called Taylorism or the Taylor system, is a management theory that focuses on analyzing and optimizing workflows to improve labor productivity. Frederick Winslow Taylor developed this theory in the late 1880s and early 1890s. He proposed replacing traditional decision-making methods with precise procedures that were created by studying individuals while they worked. Implementing scientific management effectively necessitates a considerable amount of managerial control over employee work practices.
Studying organization and management encompasses the crucial analysis of management thinking and theory, which provides managers with valuable insights on how to approach their tasks. By reading respected writers in this field, managers can shape their attitudes towards real-life management practices. It is important to have a comprehensive understanding of management theory as it enables individuals to recognize the interrelationships between theory development, organizational behavior, and actual management practice.
The comprehension of the evolution of management thinking is crucial to grasp the principles underlying the management process. Familiarity with management history aids in understanding the nature of management and organizational behavior, as well as why certain topics are emphasized. Furthermore, numerous earlier concepts continue to hold relevance for managers, and subsequent theories frequently incorporate these notions and findings. Overall, management theories demonstrate flexibility and adjust to changes within the organizational environment.
The Human Relations Approach stands in direct opposition to classical management theory. While classical management emphasized organizing work routines in a rational way, human relations approaches prioritized adapting work routines to meet individual emotional and relational needs in order to boost productivity. This approach emerged as a result of suppressing the most radical labor movements. In the modern era, it is challenging to classify management into distinct functional categories.
More and more processes concurrently involve multiple categories. Instead, individuals commonly think of the different processes, tasks, and objects that are managed. There are also management theories specifically applicable to nonprofits and government, including public administration, public management, and educational management. Additionally, management programs for civil-society organizations have led to the development of programs in nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship. In contemporary management literature, Scientific Management (or Taylorism) is frequently used as a comparison to a new and improved approach to conducting business.
Taylorism can be viewed as the ultimate expression of dividing labor, resulting in the reduction of worker skills and dehumanization in the workplace. The classical writers focused on enhancing management to boost productivity, mainly by structuring work organization and offering financial incentives to motivate higher output levels.
F. W. Taylor (1856–1917), known as the ‘father’ of scientific management, was a significant contributor to this approach. He argued that there is an ideal machine for every job and an optimal working method for individuals to perform their tasks. According to Taylor, all work processes can be broken down into separate tasks, and through the scientific method, one can identify the most efficient way to perform each task. Taylor promoted dividing each job into parts, timing each part, and rearranging them to establish the most efficient working method.
Under scientific management, there were four main objectives of management:
- The development of a science for each element of a man’s work to replace the old rule-of-thumb methods.
- The scientific selection, training, and development of workers instead of allowing them to choose their tasks and train themselves as best they could.
- The development of a spirit of hearty cooperation between workers and management to ensure that work would be carried out by scientifically devised procedures. The division of work between workers and the management in almost equal shares, each group taking over the work for which it is best fitted instead of the former condition in which responsibility largely rested with the workers. Self-evident in this philosophy are organizations arranged in a hierarchy, systems of abstract rules, and impersonal relationships between staff. While scientific management principles improved productivity and had a substantial impact on the industry, they also increased the monotony of work.
The key aspects of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback were not included in the concept of scientific management. Although workers generally accepted the new work methods, there were isolated cases of resistance. Stopwatches, in particular, caused protests and even triggered a strike at a factory where “Taylorism” was being implemented. Concerns about the dehumanizing effects of Taylorism prompted an investigation by the United States Congress. Nevertheless, scientific management revolutionized work practices and its principles are still applied in various forms today.
The human relations approach to organizations views them as cooperative enterprises where worker morale greatly impacts productivity. To improve productivity, this approach focuses on modifying the work environment to boost morale and enhance worker skills. Theory X and Theory Y present two different perspectives on human behavior in the workplace. Theory X portrays individuals in a negative light, while Theory Y highlights the positive aspects of employees. According to McGregor, managers’ perception of individuals is based on various assumptions. Employees may view their job as relaxing and routine, putting in effort both physically and mentally. Instead of relying solely on threats and external control, employees can demonstrate self-direction and self-control if they are dedicated to achieving organizational goals. When jobs are rewarding and satisfying, employees become more loyal and committed to the organization. Even an average employee can learn to accept and acknowledge responsibility.
The employees possess valuable skills and abilities, including logical thinking, that can be fully utilized. This implies that their creativity, resourcefulness, and innovation can be harnessed to resolve organizational issues. In the late 20th century, best practices in management also encompassed excellence and total quality management, reengineering, systems thinking, cross-functional teams, empowerment, delayering and flat organization charts, learning organization, dialogue, reinventing work approaches , and embracing diversity. Furthermore , they have the capacity to acquire responsibilities.
Due to the rapid growth of the Internet, knowledge has expanded rapidly. This has greatly influenced management thinking, which was already heavily influenced by psychology. Furthermore, there has been a convergence of ideas between academia and the business world, leading to a substantial rise in research on management. By 2000, certain trends such as TQM and reengineering appeared to have reached their pinnacle. Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge the enduring significance of the fresh concepts that arose from these trends. Consequently, we should adopt modernized versions of these movements in the 21st century.
The evolution and advancement of learning organizations and diversity have led to the emergence of “second generation” and “new” versions respectively. Moreover, noticeable progress in these well-established concepts has resulted in a “third wave” in the early 21st century. Similarly, just as new types of organizations and innovative business practices have emerged, there will also be novel management trends, ideas, and techniques.
The wise manager will not constantly chase after every trendy notion, but instead gain knowledge, study, and implement the most efficient current thinking. As we near the 21st century, the fundamental principles in management can be summarized as follows: Management is a duty that applies to all individuals. With increased levels of education and advancements in information technology, the conventional divide between “managers” and “workers” will diminish, resulting in management knowledge becoming a collective responsibility for everyone.
Management focuses mainly on facilitating learning as businesses increasingly rely on information and knowledge continues to grow at a fast pace. Effective communication serves as the cornerstone of management, with planning, strategizing, decision-making, and problem-solving techniques being widely adopted throughout the organization. Therefore, managers will need to prioritize enhancing communication by utilizing dialogue and other communication tools more frequently.
Management revolves around change. With technology and information drastically transforming our lives, management of change will become the norm, and managers will take on the role of change agents, leading everyone towards adopting and embracing new and improved practices. The scope of management is all-encompassing. As boundaries dissolve within organizations and on a global scale, the domain of management will expand, turning managers into experts in organizational development, diversity, facilitation, consultation, and more.
