Introduction to Taylor and Scientific Management:
Fredrick Winslow Taylor was born on March 20, 1856 in Philadelphia. He was the founder of the Scientific Management. He was an American Mechanical Engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. He became an apprentice mechanist in 1874, learning factory conditions at the grass root level. In 1883, he attained a degree in mechanical engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. He joined the Bethlehem Iron Company in 1898, which later became Bethlehem Steel Company. He was employed to introduce differential piece rate wage system.
Taylor is known for the coinage of the term ‘Scientific Management’. Scientific Management means the management technique that tends to eliminate the wastage, harmonizes different factors and processes of production and brings about an all round efficiency in the working of the organization. Here men, machines and materials are used in the best possible way while doing away with the trial and error method.
According to Taylor, by analyzing the work scientifically, it would be possible to find ‘one best way’ to do it. Quite simply a job is divided into its component parts and measure each to the second. Taylor believed that contemporary management should be studied as a discipline as it was amateurish. Scientific Management can be proved by the experiments done by Taylor. One is the Taylor’s pig iron experiment and second, is the experiment dealt with shovel sizes.
Principles of Scientific Management:
Fredrick Winslow Taylor is known as the father of the scientific management. His main thought was directed at increasing efficiency. He wrote three books which were later consolidated into one, “SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT”. His fundamental principles of scientific management were:
a) Science, not Rule of Thumb: Rule of thumb means making decisions with no
References: http://www.business.ualberta.ca/yresgef/orga417/mayo.htm (viewed 19th October 2009) http://www.introduction-to-management.24xls.com/en128 (viewed 20th October 2009) http://www.famousquotes.com/search.thp?search=Taylor&field=LastName&paint=0 (viewed on 21st October 2009) http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Human+Relations+Movement (viewed 21st October 2009) http://www.oppapers.com/essays/History-Management-Theory-Human-Relations-Movement (viewed on 22nd October 2009).