“FREDERICK W.

TAYLOR”
(1856-1915)

Frederick W. Taylor is popularly known as father of scientific management. In the year 1875,
he joined Midvale Steel works, Philadelphia, as machine operator. During service he
continued his studies in the evening and he obtained his degree in doctorate. Later he fetched
the highest position in the same company. His contribution in management is great. He
invented many tools and implements used in factory. His experience as laborer, apprentice,
machine operator, foreman, head mechanic and finally as Chief Engineer helped him
understand the view points, weaknesses, and strengths of not only workers but also the
management.

When he advanced his theory of scientific management he had to face a great opposition not
only from the labors but also from American Congress. In 1912, he was called up by the
Congress to clarify his position. The charge against him was that he wanted to overload the
workers and wanted them to be unemployed. There he clarified his position and said.

“Scientific Management is not a device of performance. It is not a new system to determine a

cost. It is not a wage payment scheme. It is not a bonus system. It is not a premium system. It
is not a time study or motion study.

“Scientific management is a mental revolution on the part of workers and management. It

teaches the workers to know their duties, their co-workers and superiors. Management should
also know its duties and responsibilities towards its workers.”

APPLICATION OF TAYLOR’S SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT:

1. Handling of Pig Iron at Bethlehem Steel Company.

2. Optimum Shovel.

TAYLOR AND HANDLING OF PIG IRON:

In 1980 because of prolonged low prices of pig iron, some eighty thousand tons of pig iron
had been stored in small piles in an open field. The sudden demand of pig iron caused its
prices to rise. And the iron in the field was sold. The immediate job was to load the piles of
pig iron onto railroad cars for shipment.
Pig iron had for many years been handled by workers in gangs of about 75 people. Each pig
iron handler picked a pig of iron weighing 92 pounds, carried it up an inclined plank, and
dropped it into the railroad car. A particular group of workers was selected by Taylor and his
associates in order to show the workers, the owners and the managers, on a sufficiently large
scale and in a very elementary kind of work, the advantages of his ideas over the existing day
work and piecework plan.

Investigation revealed that the average pig-iron handler was loading about 12 ½ long tons
(2240 pounds = 1 long ton) per day. The immediate problem? How to raise the output per
worker to higher level and still get the job done cheaply and efficiently.

Because the ultimate was “to develop each individual to the higher state of efficiency and
prosperity,” it seemed better to deal with the individual rather than with the group. The first
step taken was the scientific selection of the worker to be used in the experiment. After a
careful watching and studying of the gang for three or four days, four men were selected as
possible candidates. The history of each individual was obtained and inquires were made into
his character, habits and ambitions. One individual was than selected among the four
candidates. He was Pennsylvania Dutchman named Schmidt.

Schmidt was noted for his frugality, energy and physical characteristics. Being a proud man,
or a high-priced man he was offered $1.85 per day rather than $1.15 per day to do exactly as
he was instructed during the experiment: work when told to work, rest when told to rest. By
following Taylor’s direction Schmidt was able to load 47 ½ long tons per day.

The experiment reveled the following results of efficiency:

BEFORE AFTER
Long tons loaded per day 12 ½ 47 ½
Wages $1.15 per day 1.85 per day
Labor costs 9 1/5 cents per ton 3 9/10 cents per
ton
Taylor applied following scientific techniques to get the desired result:

1. Time study
2. Motion study
3. Standardization and simplification
4. Scientific task and planning
5. Functional foremanship
6. Wage plan according to efficiency of worker.

Taylor achieved consistent productivity improvements through this management approach

and become known as father of “Scientific Management” but the biggest factor which lead to
downfall of his approach was negligence of human aspect. He treated the workers as
machines and as an ox that worker can work as much as management desires.