Economy

Erik Rohleder

Taylors theory of Scientific Management

and the implications for contemporary
management practice

Essay

IRHR1001 Essay 1 Taylors theory of Scientific Management and the

implications for contemporary management practice

When Frederick Winslow Taylor established his theory of Scientific Management in

the late nineteenth century, its system promised a revolution of the labor market.
Business was received and successfully transferred of many immediately, especially
in the automotive industry by Ford at the beginning of the 20th century. In the
second half of this century however it became increasingly criticised by Taylorism,
due to it lacking flexibility and inhumanity. Thereupon more modern operational
rationalisation methods were developed, that wanted to drop themselves of
Taylorism. Nevertheless the essay will show that academic and managerial interests
in scientific management have not declined since Taylor proposed them. This may
attest a kind of reference for him being one of the foundation fathers of management
studies (Roper, 1999).

Taylors main purpose was to increase productivity of the human work with a
scientific approach. "Prerequisites for that are the separation of head and handwork,
expropriation and systematic collection of the dexterities and the knowledge of the
worker, becoming independent of the disposition functions respectively control
functions and methodical forms of the work analysis" (Kocyba, Schumm, 2002). The
achievement of the worker should be optimized by the systematic inspection of each
side of management. According to Taylors experience the workers had technologies
of the achievement restraint, i.e. they worked, but not efficiently and not to their full
potential (Wrege, Hodgetts, 2000). Frederick W. Taylor wanted to suppress this to
the advantage of the management and workers. If someone exactly would prescribe
them how to carry out their work precisely, their performance would be enhanced in
his opinion. After his direction, management received analysis and planning of the
work process in order to develop the best way of mastering the work. Thus, the
workers had no intellectual work to settle and were eventually only the exporting
organ for the specification of the management. They performed respectively only a
small step in order to be as fast as possible and productive (Taksa, 1994). In order to
increase its output, Taylor used an achievement wage system as a motivation factor.
In addition, if the businesses became larger, there had to be integrated further
departments such as administrations and offices around the division of labor for
managing the organisation more effectively (Wrege, Hodgetts, 2000). In summary it
can be said, that the most important objectives that Taylor set out were the

systematising observation, measurement as well as an optimisation of the

achievement result related standardisation. Moreover the standardisations of labor
force, work organisation, work technology and the construction of work planning
and work preparation area preliminary for production (Beckenbach, 1991).
Although its theory of scientific management is over 120 years old, Taylors
model proved to be very successful. It was received in the following decades in
numerous American businesses and increasingly also overseas. The introduction of
machines and assembly lines accelerated at the beginning of the 20th century not
only the work, the workers had to adapt themselves moreover to the machine
processes. Especially well known for its successful assembly line work were Henry
Ford and his Model T. He sought influence to develop assembly line work and
drastic division of labor with unqualified workers. As Taylor depicts the work was
divided correspondingly, into single small steps, corresponding to an exact timetable.
The progress in the technology was utilized by Ford and included into the
manufacture of its automobiles (Rao, 2009). Henry Ford saw the business
management centered into the hands of the firm leader. It was patriarchal for the
entire business and absolutely responsible for its success. Ford moreover
supplemented on Taylor in receiving its strict control measures. He paid high wages
and introduced a workday of eight hours. Therewith Fords company provided for an
optimal business partnership. The term Fordism describes a result of the
combination of Taylorism and the fluent fabrication of measured goods. The
humaneness was promoted through the reduced workday and social achievements of
sides of the business (Kocyba, Schumm, 2002).
Another example of Frederick W. Taylors influence is the automobile group
Toyota. In the second half of the 20th century they developed new ways of
automobile production. It was Toyotas final purpose to produce a larger product
diversification, i.e. large product volumes in high variety. This was in contrast to
Taylorism that concentrated on high product volume with little or no product variety.
Because of this Toyota required optimal coordination and flexibility. The workers
were divided in teams and used for several steps of production. Nevertheless the
Toyota system was still a further development and/or modification of the Taylorism.
The management was the leading hand and responsible for all processes, it had to
precisely plan all steps in order to guarantee the effectiveness. Rationalisation and
division of labor always took precedence and are a general echo to Taylors first
principle of scientific management. (Hales, 1994)

A third evidence for Taylors implication for contemporary management

practice in industrial companies is the term Lean Management or Lean
Production. Its system didnt start as it is currently known in the 21st century, but it
developed since the mid-1930s and is an important part of the worldwide industry.
Lean Production had the purpose of avoiding all superfluous steps in the production
and minimising waste. This resulted to concentrate in flat hierarchies and
decentralisation and/or outsourcing, i.e. the business fabrication steps were organised
in a single form, dependent on the essential work contents. Teamwork represented
also some important contents. Therewith the strict Taylorism division of labor
became partially abandoned and there were improvements in communication within
the business and especially between the workers. However in this instance it was
clearly shown that the principles of Frederick Winslow Taylor were more flexible
than originally thought and therefore were retained because of it. Benefits of Lean
principles are higher quality products, a higher asset efficiency or better customer
focus. Hence, many senior managers became interested in this type of system and
adopting parts of it (Emiliani, Stec, 2005).
Another indicates for a high and continuing relevance of Taylors ideas in
contemporary management theory and practice are examples in the service sector,
like McDonalds. They successfully assumed his concept of rationalisation by
producing burgers and use it within a service industry context. By adopting Taylors
principles of scientific management, the fast-food company can easily quantify and
calculate its services. Every worker in these types of fast food restaurants are
trained to do a limited number of tasks to gain the efficiency of the whole company.
Included foremen and superintendents by the management, who did this work many
years before, train them in exactly the same way so share their knowledge and skills.
By ensuring these tasks are done correctly, managers can guarantee economic work
and impose their control, like Taylor envisioned (Taylor, 1947).

Scientific Management is not an inflexible system of procedures which can

be bought and installed like a boiler or a loom, but is something of an organic nature
which is developed out of a harmony of desires and understandings within an
organisation through the guidance of an outstanding leadership (Taylor Society,
1972). Just like the Taylor Society foresaw, no company uses Taylors scientific
management in its entirety. Many parts are modified because of new information,
local operating conditions or laws today. Thereby encouraging its widespread use

and international acceptance, parts of Taylors ideas longevity is due to the

improvements that took place over many years.
However, just the name Scientific Management vanished from the
contemporary management scene. F. W. Taylors principles are, even if updated, still
in use in many companies and countries. Forced by its detractors and modified by its
advocates the primal thoughts were adapted. Taylors basic conceptions of scientific
management survived and are still relevant for todays manager, so that he is
correctly called one of the foundation fathers of management studies.

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