Scientific management
Introduction-
The management is grateful to 20th century for its
contribution of scientific management. The wave of organised thinking to the improvement
of management performance collectively called scientific management. The
mathematicians, sociologist, engineers of pre-scientific period too had
contributed to the growth of management. But the practical impact on the
organisational improvement was too less.
Therefore, it is said that the Industrial Revolution was for
19th century and scientific management was for 20th century.
Meaning-
Impact of Industrial Revolution
on the economic life of human being emphasised the faster and better methods of
production with efficiency. This facilitated to meet the increased demand for
products all over the world market.
Because, the scientific management stressed on the ideas
such as analysis, planning and control, efficiency, standardisation,
simplification, time and motion study, division of work, labour etc..
Definition-
The 20th century had contributors like F.W. Taylor, Henry
Fayol, F.B. Gilbreth, Gantt. Emerson to the ideas of scientific
management.
The term scientific management in simple words means
managing scientifically. It is possible with implantation of principles of
science to the art of management. The work is performed on the scientific lines
to achieve higher results with less effort. The efforts of workers are rewarded
on the basis of the level of efficiency.
The functions are performed under the
supervision and guidance of functional experts.
The
ideology of scientific management has the following features-
1. Principles of science are applied to the art of
management.
2. Work is analysed and assigned based on the specialization
3. The reward is based on efficiency of worker
4. The special studies relating to time, motion and fatigue
are conducted to improve the work.
5. The work force is selected, trained, promoted and
evaluated on scientific procedures.
6. High returns with less effort are constantly planned.
The ideology of all scientific thinkers can be summarized as
the principles of scientific management. These are contributed by Tosi and Carroll
in their book entitled 'Management'.
1. Inefficient practices - In the
opinion of most of the scientific thinkers, the current practices were carried
on in most unscientific and inefficient management style. It was the root cause
for the thinkers to search newer ways and improvement upon rude and traditional
practices.
2. Adoption of scientific methods -
The application of scientific methods was the main thrust area of thinkers. The
scientific methods suggest that the business problems must be solved the basis
of research rather than relying on experiences.
The organisation should evaluate different alternatives.
Compare systematically and objectivity and finally select the best. They never believed
the presence of 'one best way' for all the problems at all the times. Every
time, the Best is changing because of alternatives.
3. Practice specializations- All
jobs cannot be and equally performed by an individual. One cannot possess all
the traits, skills needed to perform the various jobs. The basic idea behind
this is division of labour. The entire work of an organisation should be divided
among the specialist in a particular area.
The planners should be separated from performers. At a time person
has to either plan a work or work on a plan. The concept introduced by them is
'Functional Foremanship’. There should be experts in a specific job. They
believed that one can perform 'best' with one job at a time.
4. Planning and Scheduling -
The total work should have a plan with time factor. The work is to be divided
into smaller job, and each job be carried out according to a plan. Because, the
planned job helps to improve performance. The experts like Gantt developed charts
called 'Gantt Task Charts, to show how the small and small jobs can be planned
and scheduled. The time schedule acts as a limiting factor within which a job
to be performed.
Not only the man's movements were planned and scheduled,
even the materials movement routes, paths, issue time, receiving time etc. were
scheduled to increase the effective utilization. Without plan, nothing moves in
the organisation, neither man nor material.
5. Repeated and monotonous jobs -
In the workplace, men and machines were treated on par. The application of
division of labour principle forces the same person to repeat the same job continuously.
Man became machine to perform a job within the stipulated movements and time.
This process made the people to feel bored, monotonous and drudgery.
The man's creativity, zeal, desire, self respect,
satisfaction etc. were ill-treated by scientific management. He was very rudely
treated on the job and never accepted the life outside the factory. Men commit
mistakes when the same task is repeated by him.
6. Exploitation -
Increasing the production was the main target of scientific management. In
order to attain it, people were forced work with speed within the standard
time. The standard time and standard wage were fixed on unscientific methods.
This resulted into exploitation of workers. The over
emphasis on discipline at the work place becomes jail treatment to workers. The
workers had no say in the management. This sort of exploitation was rejected by
sociologist.
Critics of scientific management–
No one, even today, cannot simply reject the application of
scientific methods to the problems of organisation. The scientific management
indirectly threw light on what wrong would have happened had the human psychological
feelings were not given due respect. The modern thinkers draw a thin lacuna and
profounded their own sociological behavioural schools of thoughts.
Conclusion -
In total, the scientific management was totally entitled as
an unscientific management. It was considered as anti-social. The managers
acted as monopolist to workers. The planners were not doers and doers were
never asked while planning, this created a big void between the two ends. It
was unfortunate that the high rate performance was expected by forgetting the
feeling of performer.
Hence, it was declared as unpsychological. The
psychological satisfaction was not given any consideration. Amidst these
criticisms, the scientific management as a new way of thinking about management
is highly appreciated. Their contribution towards systematic thinking is held
high even today.
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