Scientific Managment
Scientific Managment
Scientific Managment
3. Work Study
Work study is a term used to embrace the techniques of method study and work measurement
which are employed to ensure the best possible use of human and material resources in carrying
out specified activity in simple words, this technique determines the best way of doing the job.
There are various methods of doing the job. To determine the best way there are several
parameters. Right from the procurement of the product to the final delivery of product to the
customer every activity is a part of method study and work study is related to analyzing the work
to be performed by eliminating unnecessary operations and finding out the quicker way of doing
it. Work study eliminates wasteful and unnecessary operations, reduces effort and increases
productivity.
F.W Taylor conducted several experiments in various areas of production, viz method study,
motion study, time study and fatigue study.
a. Motion Study (Given by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth)
In this study, movement of body and limbs required to perform a job are closely observed. In other
words, it refers to the study of movement of an operator on machine involved in a particular task.
The purpose of motion study is to eliminate useless motions and determine the best way of doing
the job. By undertaking motion study an attempt is made to know whether some elements of a job
can be eliminated combined or their sequence can be changed to achieve necessary rhythm. Motion
study increases the efficiency and productivity of workers by cutting down all wasteful motions
(Caramela, 2018).
Example: It is possible to find out:
Motions that are productive.
Motions which are incidental.
Motions which are unproductive.
Taylor used stopwatches and various symbols and colors to identify different motions.
b. Time study
It is a technique which enables the manager to ascertain standard time taken for performing a
specified job. Every job or every part of it is studied in detail. This technique is based on the
study of an average worker having reasonable skill and ability. Average worker is selected and
assigned the job and then with the help of a stopwatch, time is ascertained for performing that
particular job.
Taylor maintained that Fair day’s work should be determined through observations, experiment
and analysis by keeping in view an average worker.
Standard Time × Working Hours = Fair Day’s Work
Example: Based on several observations it is determined that standard time taken by the worker to
make one cardboard box is 20 minutes. So, in 1 hour he / she will make 3 boxes.
Assuming that a worker has to put in 8 hours of work in a shift and deducting one hour for rest
and lunch, it is determined that in 7 hours a worker makes 21 boxes @ 3 per hour. This is the
standard work a worker has to do.
c. Fatigue Study
A person is bound to feel tired physically and mentally if he / she does not rest while working. The
rest intervals will help one to regain stamina and work again with the same capacity. This will
result in increased productivity. Fatigue study seeks to determine the amount and frequency of rest
intervals in completing a task.
Example: A plant, work takes place in 3 shifts of 8 hours each. Even in a single shift a worker has
to be given some rest interval for their lunch and some other small pauses from the work.
4. Gives due Weightage to Specialization: Scientific management involves dividing each work
into various small parts, each part being allotted to the person who is an expert in it. Right Men
for Right Work, Placement of right persons on the right jobs through scientific selection and
training of workers. This results in better and more work being performed in much less time.
Hence, it can be said that scientific management gives due weight age to specialization.
Undoubtedly, the force of specialization washes away all the dirt and wastage generated by the old
and traditional management. The obvious advantages are the better performance and still better
result (Waring, 1994).
5. Useful for Large Organizations: It is pertinent to mention here that the scientific management
method is quite expensive if it compares with the old traditional method, so it can be said that this
method is only useful for the larger organizations but costly for the small organizations.
6. Higher Productivity: Increase in the rate of production by use of standardized tools,
equipment’s, methods and training of the workers.
7. Cost Reduction: Reduction in the cost of production by rational planning and regulation, and
cost control techniques.
8. Quality Control: Improvement in the quality of output by research, quality control inspection
devices.
9. Attempts to Minimize Wastes: Absolutely, the purpose of scientific management is to
minimize the wastage of time, machines and material etc. Indeed, this is very essential to achieve
higher level of performance and easy and quicker way to achieve the goals.
Drawbacks
• Taylor's theory is narrow in scope having direct application to factory jobs at the Shop Floor
Level and this theory concentrated attention on improving efficiency of workers and machines,
So Scientific management is therefore restricted Industrial Engineering or Industrial
Management, rather than a general theory of management.
• Scientific management ignored human side of organization. Taylor viewed on average worker
as a machine that could be motivated to work hard through economic incentives.
• It is focused on specialization and repetition of jobs to increase the productivity which reduces
innovation and creativity and promotes monotony.
• It is clear that severe pressures were put on the employees to perform as fast as possible – like
machines, or specifically in Taylor’s view – like cogs in the industrial machine.
• Taylor advocated excessive use of specialization and separation of planning from doing.
Excessive division of labor had disastrous consequences in the form repetitive and monotonous
jobs and discontent among workers.
• The theory requires an investment of huge capital and consider as a costly system. The
establishment of work study, planning department, training of workers, and standardization
requires more money.
• Management takes control: The management takes complete responsibility related to the
control and planning of workplace activities. Since the managers take up control of the
employees, they lack creativity.
• The negligence of social values/human factor because it motivates workers to work for
monetary benefits rather than human resource development and resources.
• There is no scope for creativity of employees because they are developed by manager which
promotes frustration.
• Focus only on operational level not managerial level.
• Increased monotony of work which in result of lack of interest.
• Highly autocratic.
If we able to apply the scientific management in education, then we need to divided tasks
into several sub-tasks to increase productivity while focusing on specialization of employee, since
the change in structure ,allows them to divide the tasks of the whole organization into manageable
sub-tasks and allocates them to organizational units that are responsible for their
completion. Appoint teachers based on their capabilities in special department like if teacher
specialized in math’s then she/he needs to teach math’s only, not other random subject or any other
tasks as this practice is common in our schools. And in our system, we over- burden teachers with
many other tasks besides teaching which result in poor productivity.
Taylor also suggest in this theory that employers are motivation by money. Hence, he
advocated that productivity improvements should result in improved pay. So, we can include this
as incentive, Workers should be paid according to their productivity in a set period of time. As a
result, workers can be encouraged to work hard and maximize their productivity. If one teacher
performance is better than other teacher, management should give high pay to more productive
teachers.
Another principle which basically stated that scientific selection of the worker of
organization should be: select, train, teach and develop the most suitable person for each job
scientifically, rather than passively leaving them to train themselves, so we can apply this in our
education system for the mangers or senior employees to select the right people for each job .We
can train our teachers and other employee in education department, train each to be ‘first-class’ at
some specific task to achieve the best results and work and responsibility to be divided equally
between workers and management cooperating together in close interdependence.
According to this theory the managers of the organization stay involved and provide
supervision to each worker to ensure the job is done in the best way to meet the organization goal.
This is very important. Just because a department is designed to be efficient does not prevent
workers from falling back into bad work habits. So, in our education system it is very important to
keep an eye, supervise them regularly, if they are achieving the set goals or not.
In another principle Taylor’s state that work should be divided between managers and
workers. The mangers apply management principles to planning and supervising the work, and the
workers carry out tasks. This theory has been utilizing in most educational institutions and has led
to an increase in production and also takes some of the pressure off the workforce but allows
managers to stay involved in the daily processes of the department but in this case creativity of
employee can decrease.
Although, the works of Taylor led the standardization of work and put the concepts of
productivity and efficiency into practice. Labor productivity, no doubt, increased but scientific
management also create boredom and dissatisfaction in workers, due to several reasons including
the problem, exploitation of laborers, negligence of employee union as well as human values,
problem of time constraint and mere focus on economic motives and negligence of social values.
Thus, the best management system for education is the combination of all theories like
classical, neo- classical and environmental management theories. With classical management style
or theory all the work perform in education will be Hierarch ally structure. Give training to the
teachers to improve their skills and assign task according to their capacities. Increase teachers
wages on the basis of their performance and student’s achievement. By applying neo classical
theory look after the behavioral and human relation perspectives in education system. For example,
provide top management authorities collaborate with employee to listen their problems and also
involved them in decision making /rules development process. By applying environmental theory
in education. Government should provide good infrastructure to schools, provide all facilities in
which teaching learning process is effective. Do not create the environment of pressure by
increasing duties. Give doable duties to employees so they cannot feel pressure.
References
Caramela, S. (2018, Feburary 23). business.com writer. Retrieved from
https://www.business.com/articles/management-theory-of-frank-and-lillian-gilbreth/
Su, Y. (2017). Taylor Scientific Management Theory Carding and Significance of Organization
Management. Research Gate.
Su, Y. (2017). Taylor Scientific Management Theory Carding and Significance of Organization
Management . Science Publishing Group.