Republic of the Philippines

ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Tagudin Campus
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur

Presentors: Michael J. Jimeno

Nila Mae A. Calpo
Kristel Fae D. Asuncion
Topic: Scientific Management by Frederick Winslow Taylor
Subject: Adminitrative Theory
Professor: Dr. Dominador A. Ayson Jr.
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Scientific Management by Frederick Winslow Taylor

I Introduction
Scientific Management

The process of approaching various aspects of organizations in a scientific manner using

scientific tools such as research, management, and analysis.

The systematic study of relationships between people and tasks for the purpose of
redesigning the work process to increase efficiency.

Frederick Winslow Taylor

Known for "Father" of the Scientific management & Efficiency Movement, Father of Industrial
Engineering
Born : March 20, 1856
Died : March 21, 1915 (aged 59)
Nationality : American
Occupation : Mechanical Engineer, Efficiency expert, Management consultant

In 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor published his work, The Principles of Scientific
Management, in which he described how the application of the scientific method to the
management of workers greatly could improve productivity. Scientific management methods called
for optimizing the way that tasks were performed and simplifying the jobs enough so that workers
could be trained to perform their specialized sequence of motions in the "best" way.

II Body
Taylor became interested in improving worker productivity early in his career when he
observed gross inefficiencies during his contact with steel workers.

Soldiering
Working in the steel industry, Taylor had observed the phenomenon of workers'
purposely operating well below their capacity, that is, soldiering. He attributed soldiering
to three causes:
1. The almost universally held belief among workers that if they became more productive, fewer
of them would be needed and jobs would be eliminated.
2. Non-incentive wage systems encourage low productivity if the employee will receive the same
pay regardless of how much is produced, assuming the employee can convince the employer
that the slow pace really is a good pace for the job. Employees take great care never to work
at a good pace for fear that this faster pace would become the new standard. If employees are
paid by the quantity they produce, they fear that management will decrease their per-unit
pay if the quantity increases.
3. Workers waste much of their effort by relying on rule-of-thumb methods rather than on
optimal work methods that can be determined by scientific study of the task.

To counter soldiering and to improve efficiency, Taylor began to conduct experiments to

determine the best level of performance for certain jobs, and what was necessary to
achieve this performance.
Time Studies
To scientifically determine the optimal way to perform a job, Taylor performed experiments
that he called time studies, (also known as time and motion studies). These studies were
characterized by the use of a stopwatch to time a worker's sequence of motions, with the goal of
determining the one best way to perform a job.

The following are examples of some of the time-and-motion studies that were performed
by Taylor and others in the era of scientific management.

Pig Iron
If workers were moving 12 1/2 tons of pig iron per day and they could be incentivized to
try to move 47 1/2 tons per day, left to their own wits they probably would become exhausted after
a few hours and fail to reach their goal. However, by first conducting experiments to determine the
amount of resting that was necessary, the worker's manager could determine the optimal timing of
lifting and resting so that the worker could move the 47 1/2 tons per day without tiring.
Not all workers were physically capable of moving 47 1/2 tons per day; perhaps only 1/8
of the pig iron handlers were capable of doing so. While these 1/8 were not extraordinary people
who were highly prized by society, their physical capabilities were well-suited to moving pig iron.
This example suggests that workers should be selected according to how well they are suited for a
particular job.

The Science of Shoveling

In another study of the "science of shoveling", Taylor ran time studies to determine that
the optimal weight that a worker should lift in a shovel was 21 pounds. Since there is a wide range
of densities of materials, the shovel should be sized so that it would hold 21 pounds of the
substance being shoveled. The firm provided the workers with optimal shovels. The result was a
three to four fold increase in productivity and workers were rewarded with pay increases. Prior to
scientific management, workers used their own shovels and rarely had the optimal one for the job.

TAYLOR'S 4 PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

After years of various experiments to determine optimal work methods, Taylor proposed
the following four principles of scientific management:

1. Replace rule-of-thumb work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks.
2. Scientifically select, train, and develop each worker rather than passively leaving them to
train themselves.
3. Cooperate with the workers to ensure that the scientifically developed methods are being
followed.
4. 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.
These principles were implemented in many factories, often increasing productivity by a factor of
three or more. Henry Ford applied Taylor's principles in his automobile factories, and families even
began to perform their household tasks based on the results of time and motion studies.

ESSENCE OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

1. Taylor advocated that principles of scientific management could succeed only if there was
‘complete mental revolution’. Rather than management and workers having conflict with each
other over sharing of organizational profits, mental revolution aimed at fusion of interest of labor
and management.

2. It calls for a complete change in the outlook of management and workers towards each other.
Both management and workers should have complete understanding of the quantity and quality
of work to be achieved within a given time period and try to achieve that target.

SIGNIFICANCE OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

1. Better management
This theory gained wide popularity in the managerial world, I both business and non-
business organizations. It introduced better management through scientific methods such as work
study, incentive plans, rest hours etc.
2. Optimum allocation of resources
Scientific management eliminates wasteful time and motions in performing various activities.
It introduced time and motion studies to increase contribution to organizational goals. He
discovered workers’ true capacity and provided a fair day’s work for a fair day’s wage.

3. Scientific approach
It emphasized on scientific selection, education and development of workers so that problem-
solving is not based on random decision making. It advocated selection on the basis of job
requirements. Selection of the right person for the right job is the basis of this theory. Training
methods are scientifically designed to develop workers to perform the jobs are best suited for.

4. Work specialization
He identified planning and execution as two distinct jobs. People responsible for planning
and execution belong to separate departments.

5. Mental revolution
He advocated mental revolution on the part of both employers and employees.

6. Productivity
Better management and optimum allocation of resources result in high productivity, high
profits and high wages. It thus, improves economic performance of both management and workers.

7. Harmonious relationship
Since management and workers cooperate with each other, relationship between the two
tends to be harmonious. It reduces interpersonal conflicts and promotes unity of action.

PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

1. Science not the rule of thumb

 Taylor pioneered the introduction of the method of scientific inquiry into management
practice.
 He suggested that by following the rules of thumb, all would not be equally effective.

2. Harmony, not Discord

 Managers served as a link between the owners and the workers.
 There should be complete harmony between the management and workers. Both should
realize that both are important.

3. Cooperation, not Individualism

 Competition must be replaced by cooperation. Both should realize that they need each other.

4. Development of each and every person to his or her greatest efficient and prosperity
 Industrial efficiency depends on individual competencies.
 Worker training is essential also to develop workers.

5. Functional Foremanship
 Taylor advocated separation of planning and execution function.
 Under factory manager there was a planning in-charge and production in-change.

6. Standardization and simplification on work

 Taylor was an ardent supporter of standardization. According to him scientific method
should be used to analyze methods of production prevalent under the rule of thumb.
Simplification aims unnecessary diversification of products which results in saving of costs.

7. Method Study
 The objective of method study is to find out the best way to do the job.

8. Motion Study
 It refers to the study of movements like lifting, putting objects which are undertaken while
doing a job. Unnecessary movements are sought to be eliminated so that it takes less time to
complete the job efficiently.

9. Time Study
 It determines the standard time taken to perform a well-defined job.
10. Fatigue Study
 Rest is essential to regain the productivity of workers.

11. Differential Piece System

 Taylor was a stong advocator of piece wage system. He wanted to differentiate between
wfficient and inefficient workers.
 There must be a compensation system that differentiates those who are able to accomplish
the day’s work better.

LIMITATIONS/CRITICISMS OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

1. Over-emphasis on economic needs

Taylor focused only on physical and economic needs of workers. He overlooked the
importance of social and ego needs that affect their behaviour. Taylor viewed workers as mere
factors of production and not human beings with social and emotional ties.

2. Loss of jobs
His theory was opposed by workers and labour unions as they felt that scientific ways would
increase production but reduce the work force. Workers believed that if they adopted Taylor’s work
methods, they would lose their jobs.

3. Efficient methods of production will lead to same work being performed by less number of
workers.
The possible threat of layoffs made workers and union suspicious about adopting scientific
methods of production.

4. Monotomy
Focus on scientific ways of performing the job (standardization), task planning etc. can make
work monotonous as workers work along pre-defined lines of action and lose interest in jobs. The
work become so routinized that workers do not use their initiative and creativity in performing
better.

. 5. Discrimination amongst workers

Differentiate wage rate system distinguishes between efficient and inefficient workers on the
basis of standard output. It leads to conflicts

6. Unsuitable for small firms

Scientific management theory is unsuitable for small firms because of their inability to invest
huge funds in developing scientific methods of production. Small firms are, thus, deprived of the
benefits of scientific management.

III Conclusion
At the present and in many schools, teaching tasks are still routinized and segmented
according to established curricula. Control for efficiency is enforced through legislative
mandates, state-wide standards, administrative rules and policies, and district-wide evaluation
processes. Overt bureaucratic forms of control through numerical teacher evaluations and invalid
state proficiency tests are still wide spread. Scientific control measures designed to measure
teacher efficiency at the state, local, and district levels have done no more than create adversarial
relationships between teachers and school administrators. While scientific management made us
believe that management was an increasingly complex science that required managers of high
intellect, it also forced management to pay little or no attention to the importance of workers
contributing to decisions concerning what they do: their role was simply to follow the rules
established by management. The division of labor implied by scientific management quickly
became a fundamental paradigm that structured the expectations educators had for the
increasingly diverse student population.