The Principles of Scientific Management

The Principles of Scientific Management

 Scientific management can be defined as a theory of management on economic efficiency that is based on analyzing and synthesizing workflows. Its main objective is to increase work efficiency.  Scientific management is pone of the earliest and most effective means of applying science to engineering processes and to management (Taylor, 2006). It is sometimes referred to as Taylorism, and it was developed in the 1880s and the 1890s by Fredrick Taylor. In its initial stages, it was applied in the steel manufacturing industries, with its working principles peaking in the 1910s. At the time of the death of its founder, Taylor, it was facing competition from syncretism ideals (Waring, 2016). Nevertheless, the scientific management of ideas of Fredrick Taylor is still relevant today in understanding scientific management.

Taylorism or other scientific management is based on several principles. Overall, the principles of scientific management try to find a different way in which organizations should view their workers and the organization itself. Taylor argues that there are no unusual or extraordinary traits in workers, but rather the solution lies in scientific management. At the time of the publication of Taylor’s book on the principles of scientific management, many organizations believed that workers were slow and inefficient so as to protect their jobs. This was not the case, according to Taylor, and he proposed the ingenious principles of scientific management to solve the underlying issues in the relationships between organizations and their workers. Despite the acceptance of most of the principles of scientific management by Taylor, some of them have been branded as retrogressive in enhancing the efficiency at the workplace.

One of the principles of scientific management suggests that workers should look at each task or job scientifically, and then determine one best way to accomplish the task at hand. This was a huge shift from the era when there was no scientific management. Previously, workers would be required to find their own ways of accomplishing tasks, and this would occasionally put workers and the organization in a collision course (Taylor, 2006). This was because the objectives of the tasks were either not met or if tasks were completed, they were done unsatisfactorily. Taylor proposed that workers should find and document one best way of completing tasks, and this gave birth to the standardization ideals in the improvements of the principles of scientific management. Finding one best way of performing certain tasks or jobs led to increased efficiency in the working of organizations. This principle still holds today. Despite the advances in technology, organizations have defined ways of performing tasks, and this has had the effect of improving the ability of organizations to meet laid out targets in terms of employee performance.

Another principle of scientific management argues that right workers should be hired for particular tasks, while at the same time training them to work at maximum efficiency. Before the advent of the principles of scientific management, workers would be selected randomly to perform tasks, even if they were not best at accomp8hsing such tasks, Taylor proposed that workers should be hired to perform specific tasks, where they have excellent skills. This principle also recognizes the need for the training of workers to be efficient in the tasks they do (Taylor, 2006). This, according to him, has the effect of bringing out the best from specific workers and hence the success of the organization in general. Studies have shown that, if workers perform the tasks they are best at, the result is that tasks are accomplished promptly and efficiently.

Another principle of scientific management, according to Taylor, argues that organizations should monitor the performance of the workers, while at the same time offering training and instruction, where necessary.  This is the basis of modern days, employee performance appraisal. Monitoring the performance of the employees enables them to appreciate the need to give their best (Taylor, 2006). It also allows the management to identify works that are still not best suited for specific tasks and move them to the tasks they can perform best, or train them when necessary Taylor, also recognized that the ability to perform tasks efficiently needs periodic training, as changes take place in the company or organization. This enables them to align their skills as required, as the workplace is a dynamic place that needs a constant awareness of the best ways to accomplish new tasks as they come up.

Taylor also proposed that there should be a distinct separation between management and labour roles in an organization. According to him, such separation is necessary as it enables the management to plan and train workers. It also allows workers to concentrate on accomplishing their tasks efficiently. In today’s application of this principle of scientific management, organizations have clear hierarchies on how to address issues within the organization. This ensures that every stakeholder performs their tasks efficiently, and in case there are issues; there are defined channels on how to address them. Additionally, this principle allows the management to identify the necessary areas where workers need to be retrained (Taylor, 2006). It also allows the management to plan tasks for various departments, and this helps in improving efficiency and the ability of workers to understand what they are expected to do at any time.

Overall, Taylor believed that productivity in companies would increase significantly if there was the optimization and the simplification of tasks. This approach is necessary, especially where work can be quantified, standardized and systemized, especially in factories (Taylor, 2006). In this approach, there is only one way of performing certain tasks, and workers are discouraged from making or evaluating decisions that may produce a better result. In other words, the focus should be on the output but not individual worker development or motivation. These principles are sometimes controversial, as they discourage career advancement and innovation at the workplace. It can be argued that encouraging workers to devise new ways of doing things can encourage creativity and innovation at the workplace. This could help the organization realize extraordinary success in some sectors, where employees have discovered new and more efficient ways of performing tasks.

In conclusion, the principles of scientific management have a lot of implications on how organizations operate today. While some of the principles are still applicable today, various counter theories have been developed on how to better Taylor’s principles of scientific management. While it is crucial that workers should be selected to perform the tasks they are best at, it is essential that they are encouraged t be creative and innovative at the workplace. With regard to worker training and monitoring, organizations should be encouraged to arrange for training of workers to make sure that they are conversant to emerging technologies. Monitoring should also be enhanced as a means of ensuring that performance levels remain high in the organization.