SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT

F.W Taylor (1856-1915)

F= Frederick

W=Winslow

F.W Taylor is known as the father of scientific management. He was born in Philadelphia, USA.
He was a very challenging man; He would not allow anything to go without challenge. He joined
Midvale steel Co. as a worker and within 6 years he became the chief engineer of the
organization. His achievement indicates what types of man he was. F.W. Taylor, while at the
Midvale steel Co. could identify a problem with the workers. He called the problem “soldiering
by workers”. Soldiering means working at less than full capacity by the workers deliberately.
Management used to blame the workers for soldiering. Then Taylor tried to find out the reasons
behind soldiering. He could identify the following reasons.

1. The workers are afraid of losing their jobs. They thought if they would work in their full
capacity at least some of them had to lose their job.

2. Faulty wage system developed by management. Wage was paid based on hours, not based on
output. So, workers were interested in attendance not for output.

3. Taylor observed that the method of work handed down from generation to generation was
inefficient.

The above reasons for soldiering led Taylor to conclude that it was management. who was
responsible for soldiering not the workers. In other words, Taylor for the first-time blamed
management for soldiering by workers.

Then Taylor developed his concept of scientific management. and gave his opinion that if his
concept of scientific management was used, soldiering would no more be there.

CONCEPT OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT.

Scientific Management. is a concept. It is a way of doing things developed by F.W. Taylor.

Scientific management centers around the following three issues.

1. F.W. Taylor described the fundamental philosophy of scientific management when he

said, “Scientific management is knowing exactly what he (manager) wants men to do and
then seeing that they do it in the best & cheapest way.”
2. One best way idea: the methodology of scientific management was aimed at careful
investigation of every operating problem in the industrial work. Every possible method of
doing a work was carefully analyzed and the best elements of all the methods were
 combined to form the new method. Taylor called this method one best way of doing a
work and asked his people to follow that method.
3. Scientific management involves a mental revolution. It is the main theme of scientific
management. F.W. Taylor said, “Scientific management. involves a complete mental
revolution on the part of the workers and it involves an equally complete mental
revolution on the part of the management of an organization. And without these complete
mental revolutions on both sides scientific management does not exist.”

The main theme of this mental revolution is that things can be done faster, better, cheaper
even with the existing resources provided you intend to do so.
In short scientific management means.
i. A manager should know what he wants from his people.
ii. A manager must ensure that his people are following the one best way of doing
work.
iii. It involves a complete mental revolution on the part of the workers as well as on
the part of the management.

Taylor’s Scientific Management Principles

1. Develop a science for each element of an individual’s work to replace the old rule-of thumb
method.
2. Scientifically select and then train, teach, and develop the worker.
3. Heartily cooperate with the workers so as to ensure that all work is done in accordance with
the principles of the science that has been developed.
4. Divide work and responsibility almost equally between management and workers.
Management does all work for which it is better suited than the workers.

Ideas contributed by F.W. Taylor in the field of management:

i. Select the best worker.

ii. Train him well.
iii. Timing of jobs in small parts rather than in an overall way.
iv. Determination of a standard time (time study)
v. Determination of a standard motion (motion study)
vi. Determination of a standard equipment (equipment study)
vii. Elimination of unnecessary movements of the worker and thereby saving their time
and energy.