SCIENTIFIC

MANAGEMENT
THEORY
FREDERICK W. TAYLOR
(1856 – 1919)
 FREDERICK TAYLOR

• MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND MANAGEMENT

CONSULTANT.
• FACTORIES WERE SPRINGING UP EVERYWHERE AND
STANDARDIZED WAY DID NOT YET EXIST TO MANAGE
LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE AND HANDLE
INCREASINGLY COMPLEX WORK.
• TAYLOR WANTED TO MAKE ORGANIZATION MORE
STANDARDIZED, EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE BY
STUDYING THEIR COMPLEX WORK PROCESS
CLOSELY.
 SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
• APPLYING SCIENCE TO WORK = STUDYING TASK
CAREFULLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY AT THE MICRO
LEVEL TO SPEED UP WORK.

• WANTED TO BROKE AWAY FROM THE COMMON SENSE

“RULES OF THUMB” THAT HE SAW AS UNPROVEN AND
INEFFICIENT.

• SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT IS ALSO KNOWN AS

TAYLORISM.
 DIVISION OF LABOR

• WANTED TO DEVIDE THE WORK PROCESS INTO SMALL,

SIMPLE, AND SEPARATE STEPS = DIVISION OF LABOR.

• EACH STEP OR TWO WAS PERFORMED BY DIFFERENT

PERSON.

• WANTED TO DETERMINE THE ONE BEST WAY, A STANDARD,

TO DO EVERY PART OF EVERY TASK TO BOOST
PRODUCTIVITY.
 HIERARCHY

• WANTED A CLEAR CHAIN OF COMMAND THAT

SEPERATED THE MANAGER FORM WORKERS.

• MANAGER WOULD DESIGN WORK PROCESS AND

ENFORCED HOW THE WORK WAS PERFORMED.

• EMPLOYEE SIMPLY FOLLOWED THE DIRECTION.

SELECTION, TRAINING AND COMPENSATION
• WANTED TO SELECT AND TRAIN HIGH-PERFORMING
WORKERS OR FIRST-CLASS EMPLOYEES AND MATCH THEM
TO A JOB THAT BEST SUITED TO THEM.

• HE BELIEVE THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WORKER SHOULD BE

PAID MORE.

• EMPLOYEES WHO COULD NOT MEET NEW HIGHER

STANDARD WERE FIRED.
 METHODS: TIME & MOTION STUDIES
• TIME = WHAT IS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF TIME, ON
AVERAGE, IT TOOK TO PERFORM EACH TASK AND EVEN
EACH PART OF EACH TASK.

• MOTION = WHAT WERE THE FEWEST NUMBER OF MOTIONS

REQUIRED FOR EACH SMALL TASK.

• WANTED EMPLOYEES TO WORK AS IF THEY WERE

MACHINES.
SHOVEL EXPERIMENT
SHOVEL EXPERIMENT
SHOVEL EXPERIMENT
SHOVEL EXPERIMENT
 OUTCOMES OF TAYLORISM

• BOOST IN PRODUCTIVITY BY 200% TO 400%.

• MORE WORK ACCOMPLISHED WITH FEWER PEOPLE

MEANT MORE PROFIT FOR COMPANIES.

• MORE CONSISTENT PRODUCTS OF ARGUABLY HIGHER

QUALITY.
 OUTCOMES OF TAYLORISM

• COMPANIES OFTEN FAILED TO PAY EMPLOYEES MORE.

• “MANAGERS THINK, EMPLOYEES DO” PHILOSOPHY
BECAME NORMAL.
• SEPERATED WORKER FROM THE GREATER MEANING
OF THE WORK.
• DESKILLED EMPLOYEES AND MADE THEM
EXPANDABLE.
• “SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST” PHILOSOPHY = HARSH
ATMOSPHERE.
• EMPLOYEE BURNOUT, DEHUMANIZATION, MENTAL
FREDERICK W. TAYLOR
(1856 – 1919)

SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT