search

Scientific Management Theory by Frederick Taylor

Essay details

Please note! This essay has been submitted by a student.

Frederic Taylor developed “scientific management.” Go to Wikipedia and read the page on “scientific management.”In no less than three paragraphs, describe the major aspects of scientific management.

Scientific management, which is also known as Taylorism,is just a way to accomplish tasks with a more scientific approach. An approach that arrived in the 1910’s and by the 1920’s started the whole idea of competition in businesses everywhere. Which everyone sees around every corner. Choose Verizon it’s has the lowest price, no people should choose AT&T because it will give them more for their money. The era of scientific management collapsed, however, in the 1930’s. By the 1930’s “scientific management” had vanished in the businesses and the term was no longer used to describe the way a company was run and operated. (wikipedia)

$45 Bundle: 3 Expertly Crafted Essays!

AI-Powered Writing

Expert Editing Included

Any subject

Get 3-Essay Package

Taylorism also has another name which people had once referred to as the classical perspective. Taylor himself has once called his ideas "shop management" and "process management" Louis Brandeis, however, was the one who made the term “scientific management” main stream.

Frederick Taylor based his technique on the intelligence of the “weakest link” per say. Using his way of working, each worker had a specific job to do. Over and over again, that worker will do the same job and same skills. An assembly line was formed. Instead of each worked being skilled in all aspects of the job, one worker will be exceptional and on portion of the job while another worker is fantastic at another. This way, the workers are easily replace able, the new workers are easy to train, and wages can be dropped.

Go to Wikipedia, “Iron Cage”, and summarize the sections.

“Negative effects of bureaucracies”

“Iron cage of bureaucracy”

“Costs of bureaucracies”

The section on “Negative effects of bureaucracies” was eye opening. The fact that the bureaucracies use so much power in such little areas, it causes it no wonder that the norm is to crumble under the pressure. Max Weber felt that the bureaucracies who controlled the areas also controlled the people in those areas.

“Iron cage of bureaucracies” was mainly telling everyone how these are basically the set of laws that everyone must abide by. The iron cage is the ting that suppresses humans ability to have free reign on technology. There are ten laws to bureaucracy. All of which are there to inhibit humans ability to be free to make there own technological choices.

“Costs of bureaucracies” explains how much control has been taken away from workers. Everything from depleting the cense of worth to diminishing wages to such a low wage that it’s almost cruel. Those in control not only determine what each worker’s service is worth, but they also only care for their own needs and not the needs of the employees. Bureaucracies regulate organizations so much that they are basically doing more harm than good. The bureaucracies have uprooted so much competition that instead of helping the small businesses, they end up shuting them down due to their inability to keep up.

On Taylor and the video:

Why did he expect class conflict to decline with the implementation of scientific management?

Taylor expected class conflict to decline because with everyone doing a different job there would be no need for over communication with other sections of the business. Less communication with one another would cut down the fighting and distractions of the workers. With each worker doing a different specific job, they all had their own issues to worry about without getting involved with other peoples jobs.

Why did companies adopt the methods he developed?

Companies had decided to adopt Taylors methods because, although the workers didn’t like it, they worked. The companies were more efficient. They were also creating a higher production rate. With Taylors methods in place, each worker had their own requirements to reach each day, week, and so on. The more product the worker made the more the worker would get paid. So, with that being said, of course the workers all stepped up their game in order to make more money. Little did they know when they reached a certain point, each product they would produce would be worth less. That ment the worker had to work even harder and faster to make the same amount they had been making before the wage dropped. Companies loved this however because it allowed them to pay their workers less but get the same amount of product if not more in time.

Why did class conflicting actually increase as companies adopted and imposed scientific management methods?

Class conflicting actually increased rather than decreasing when companies adopted and imposed scientific management methods because they workers quickly became impatient. This impatience was due to the quickly depleting change in their wages. The wage rate dropped so often that the workers couldn’t keep up in order to make any money. The companies demanded so much that the workers were quickly falling behind.

How does scientific management:

  • Reduce the enjoyment of work?
  • “Dumb down” work and thereby create disposable workers?
  • Reduce wages?

Enjoyment of work was quickly extinguished due to the high levels of stressed put onto the workers. Wage rates fluctuated so frequently that they couldn’t keep up with demands. The workers were also frustrated that their jobs were cut down so low that even a monkey could do them. They knew the purpose however. With the workers jobs being so easy now that they were easier to train new employees. So once workers got to be too much trouble and complained too much the companies could replace them and have a new person doing their same job within a matter of days, if not hours. Not only that, but with each new employee the companies were able to lower the amount that the employee was paid. Then as soon as the worker was fed up and causing problems again, they would be replaced and the cycle would start all over again.

Explain how this topic relates to “A Dangerous Business” with specific examples from that video

This topic relates to “A Dangerous Business” because in both situations the companies were manipulating its workers. And in both cases the workers could do nothing to protect themselves. In the video “A Dangerous Business”, McWayne Co. had horrible working conditions for their workers. During the Taylorism era, worker also had bad conditions to work with although they were different. During he Taylorism workers had to fight for their wages, in McWayne, workers had to fight for safety. In both situations however, workers were facing so much anxiety it was unhealthy. In both the scientific management and “A Dangerous Business” workers were used like lab rats. McWayne showed no regard for its workers safety and Taylor’s method used the workers to make quick merchandise for little money.

How does the video relate to Marx’s focus on class conflict and alienation (be sure to read the lecture notes or powerpoint or class text that discusses Marx first).

Marx’s focus was on roles in society. Well, these situations like during Taylorism and “A Dangerous Business” both show this in a very real way. In both situations the middle class men, the factory workers, were the bottom of the food chain which caused them to be put through very unfair circumstances. The workers were paid unfair wages and but in dangerous working environments. While the managers and cooperate men were sitting high and mighty getting paid good money while being in a safe little office bossing everyone else around.

Based on the video, do you think scientific management would exist if workers had the right to democratic workplace conditions? Why or Why not?

I believe if worker had the right to regulate their own working conditions along with fair pay that the factories and companies would be surprised by the increase in their production rates and product sales. If workers had the right to choose what they wanted and set reasonable goals that the workers would push themselves in order to achieve their goals and maybe reek some special benefits that they set for themselves. When workers are forced to have a crumby wage and a boring position they don’t try their hardest and they do not try to excel at what they do. I believe if all companies operated like ASIPCO that they would be much more successful they they ever realized. The workers would be more excited and happy to do their job and get things done faster rather than just going through the motions like they have to.

Get quality help now

Prof. Carstensen

Verified writer

Proficient in: Management

4.8 (459 reviews)
“ Excellent! She is very professional, meet all the requirements, fast turn around time, communicates, and an overall 100/10. ”

+75 relevant experts are online

More Related Essays

banner clock
Clock is ticking and inspiration doesn't come?
We`ll do boring work for you. No plagiarism guarantee. Deadline from 3 hours.

Apologies!apologies

This feature is still in progress, but don't worry – you can place an order for an essay with our expert writers

Hire writer

We use cookies to offer you the best experience. By continuing, we’ll assume you agree with our Cookies policy.