A Critical Analasys of Scientific Management Essay

Fredrick Taylor, the father of scientific concern. He had a firm belief in oneness best focus (Samson & Daft, 2003), of doing something. In the course of study 1899, Taylor held an experiment that involved German and Hungarian men, whose stemma involved some very heavy-duty work (Gabor, 2000). To his disappointment, men all(prenominal) refused to work, or wouldnt work to his lookouts. The men hated him utterly to the bound he required security when going home (Gabor, 2000). In his stallion dilemma with his employers, in stepped Schmidt, a man non of intelligence on the nose had the strength of a bull and an ox- similar mentally required to reach the standards of Fredrick Taylor.The news report of Schmidt reflected 2 two signifi movet aspects of Taylorism (Gabor, 2000). Firstly, it reflected his aggressive personalisedity, which included his high expectation in people, hence his drive to keep on improving. Secondly, it reflected how he did non understand nor respect th e limits of a benevolent being, revea take in his strict and dead managerial style. Scholars of all times seem to criticise this aspect of Taylorism, exactly now despite its deficiency, scientific counseling soared into the 20th century and remains relevant to right aways organisations. Scientific management has its shortcomings and in some instances not relevant in right aways organisations.Its relevancy to todays organisations is simply the fact that it worked and pass overs to today. The system had a strict and clear-cut organized approach. That was because of Taylors firm belief that there was one best way. His absorb of the managements role was to decide exactly how a parturiency was to be fulfilled and that they were to determine how this would be done (Crainer, 1999). His idea of finding the one best way was the use of a stopwatch and timing the make for of doing a caper. Further much, tasks would be broken up into smaller processes, time and done repetitively until the fastest way of performing that specific task would be found. For Taylor, no task was too small for improvement (Olsen, 2001, p. 255). The take away in all the timing and recording was to maximise efficiency and scientific management done that and more.From researching, it can be seen that efficiency is the primary source for its survival and relevance today i.e. enthalpy Ford. Scientific management introduced the initiative of a transporter belt and assembly lines (Olsen, 2001). A development as simple as a conveyer belt has had a long impact on todays productivity levels. According toHenry Ford, ware of cars dramatically increased from 100,000 to 200,000 in the year 1908, at the aforementioned(prenominal) time reducing virtually 1500 actors (Perseus print Staff, 2002). Hence, scientific management let down the cost of fruit and therefore enabled scratch maximisation.The thought behind the conveyer belt or assembly line was to eliminate unnecessary movement. kind of of people having to move themselves to the raw heartys and delivering the goods, they stayed put while the goods and raw material would come to them. Before the conveyer belt, workers had to pull the goods around, generally the botched workers (Perseus Publishing Staff, 2002). This raises another aspect of scientific management. People were elect to do position jobs dep turn backing on their physical or mental capacity (Samson & Daft, 2003). From experience, a retiring(a) co-worker at McDonald who was handicap was subject to cleaning notwithstanding, scientific management in action today. The relevance of this aspect is that people are chosen to best suit a task designated to them i.e. if it is a physical task, a person with the physical capabilities would be chosen. As mentioned earlier, Schmidt was entirely admired by Taylor as he met Taylors expectation (Gabor, 2000).Schmidt had the physical capabilities required of workers in Taylors view. A case study on Mc Donalds indicates the survival of scientific management and its application to todays organisations (Kerr I. & Darl K., 1995). For instance, the production of a burger is an example of assembly line style of production is applied. In the making of one burger, approximately 5-8 people are involved depending on the size of the McDonald unit. The making of the burger is split into the heating of the buns, grilling of the meat patty, ski binding and finally wrapping. Each role may have up to 2 people on each task with specific instructions on how to perform them the tasks. Imagine an individual having to do all of the above production would be very time consuming. Hence, the relevance of scientific management to organisations today is simply the fact the fact it has proven successful, extremely high-octane in the past through Henry Ford (Perseus Publishing Staff, 2002) and still is today at McDonalds.Despite all the flourishing outcomes, it had its shortcomings. The greatest of all was the intervention of workers and that problem still exists today. In researching, critics claim people were treated like machines, by removingunnecessary movement or wasted effort by the observing of and timing of workers (Crainer, 1999). The use of stopwatches was banned in the year 1912 and was not lifted until 1949. At first sight, stopwatches were not generally accepted until Taylor make that giving workers breaks allowed them to recover from fatigue.However, the look at to recover from fatigue suggests work was acquiring ponderouser and rest was essential. Analysts of management claimed scientific management ignored human characteristics, those much(prenominal) as workers personal needs and physical restriction (http//en.wikipedia.org). Work processes became so efficient workers had no time to relax. Also the fact that each worker done one task repetitively all day, every day, seems to be absolutely machine like treatment. The constant inhumane treatment of the workers led to a slay in 1911 at a munitions factory wreak by the army (Crainer, 1999). Fredrick Taylor himself quotesBrutally speaking, our scheme (Scientific management) does not ask any(prenominal) initiative in a man. We do not care for his initiative, each employee should receive every day clear-cut, definite instructions as to just what he is to do and how he is to do it, and these instructions should be exactly carried out, whether they are right or wrong. (Crainer, 1999, p.193).This without a doubt shows how Taylor cared less about humans. His sole purpose of efficiency oversaw the fact that humans will incessantly be humans. Taylor tried to overcome this factor by compensating the workers for a hard days work. He introduced the blame rate system payment. This scheme paying workers according to their production output. Workers at the end of the day had to more fertile in order to earn an adequate wage (Kerr I. & Darl K., 1995). Compensation is only temporary unless it is sufficient. Statistics show at Midvale Steel caller-up in the year 1890, within 8 years an increase in production was more than 300% while the increase in wages was only from 25 to 100% (Olson, 2001), which doesnt sound fair .Despite the introduction of piece rate payment schemes, workers eventually will get fed up and may react in a negative way i.e. strike or quit. Telling workers the precise way of doing something reflects purely shows he did not extremity them to think or their opinion. Today, the identical treatment of humans as robots can be seen. For instance in Samoa, a Japan Company Yazaki runs their factoryproducing wires according to Taylors theories i.e. assembly lines, strict and specific tasks etcetera trading entities claim that people are first, but at the end of the day, managements decisions are solely based on profit maximisation, efficiency and so forth.Henry Ford complained, How come when I want a pair of hands I get a human being as well?(Crainer, 1999, p.194), hence the rise of machinery. Taylor faced the same difficulties and inspired him to do something about it. His development of machines started with a large poise hammer. Taylor eventually owned more than 100 patents (Olson, 2001). His view was the combination of machinery to function human, but not to replace them (Olson, 2001). That view is not as transparent today. With machines production type organisations see it as a more efficient way of performing a task as it meant less errors and fewer workers who may be considered a setback due to their physical and personal limitations. Today in Japan, scientific management has had a vast impact, however, in most factories, people do not run it.Machines normally perform production. According to the Japanese, the final ingredient to fortune production was technology (Tsutsui, p.165). Its relevance to organisations today is that technology has substituted peoples weaknesses for almost errorless machines that enables mass production, reduces wages considerably and in turn maximises profit (Olsen, 2001). However, this could arguably be both relevant and non relevant to organisations. With the introduction of machinery and technology, it in turn eliminated the need for unskilled people. Eventually, organisations will require fewer workers because smaller classifys with the assistance of machinery can produce the same amount as a large group without machinery.Last but not least of its shortcomings was the deskilling of people. Scientific management may have made production easier in the sense that tasks were small and repetitive. An military group of this was that a skilled worker could easily be replaced by an unskilled worker (Kerr I. & Darl K., 1995). In doing so, there may be a non-foreseeable action on the organisation.To conclude, scientific management is largely relevant to todays organisations. The essay suggests that its relevance and applicationoverrides its negative aspects. Its contribution has enabled mass efficient production. The one best way view of Taylor came out with a straight improvement in production and machinery. Humans will always be viewed and treated like machines this deficiency exists and will continue to until scientific managements approach sees to the human characteristics, which is unlikely. Despite all its pros and cons, it will exsert and will be continually applied in organisations today as it has proven to be successful in the past, is today and will continue to be successful in the future.REFERENCES.Crainer, S. (1999). 75 Greatest Management Decisions ever Made.Saranac Lake, NY, ground forces AMACOM. Electronic Version. Retrieved 4th August 2005, from http//site.ebrary.com/lib/auckland/ medico?id=10018416Gabor, A. (2000). Capitalist Philosophers The Geniuses of Modern backup Their Lives, Times. Westminster, MD, USA Crown Publishing Group, Incorporated. Electronic Version. Retrieved 7th August 2005, from http//site.ebrary.com/lib/auckland/Doc?id=2002333In kson, K., & Kolb, D. (1995). Management- A New Zealand Perspective.New Zealand Longman Paul.Olson, J. S. (2001). Encyclopedia of the Industrial Revolution in America.Westport, CT, USA Greenwood Publishing Group, Incorporated. Electronic Version. Retrieved 7th August 2005, from http//site.ebrary.com/lib/auckland/Doc?id=10040740Perseus Publishing Staff (2002). Business The Ultimate Resource.London, GBR Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Electronic Version. Retrieved 5th August. From http//site.ebrary.com/lib/auckland/Doc?id=10022156Samson, D., & Daft, R. L. (2003). Management-Pacific Rim Edition. Victoria, Australia Thomson Learning Australia.Tsutsui, W. M. (1998). Manufacturing political orientation Scientific Management in Twentieth-Century Japan. Ewing, NJ, USA Princeton University Press. Electronic Version. Retrieved 6th August 2005, from http//site.ebrary.com/lib/auckland/Doc?id=10035927Wikipedia online Encyclopedia.Retrieved 11th August 2005, from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific _management.