Taylorism or Scientific Management Principles at Ford Motors Company

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The central theme of this essay will deal with the role of Taylorism or scientific management in a specific organization. The primary focus will be to critically discuss how the various methods of scientific management are applicable to the chosen organization, which in this case will be Ford Motors. The essay will describe F.W. Taylor's early work life and techniques of scientific management and its success. It will then go on to discuss the production methods at Ford Motors prior and post the application of the management principles along with their benefits and criticisms. As the popularity of systematic management rose, there were many organizations that were implementing its main features such as employment of more unskilled workers and work standardization methods (Thompson and Mchugh, 2009, p.28 a). It had several features, a few of which included focusing on the manner in which production took place, being precise about how the activities were going about and to ensure that productivity and overall efficiency improved. Thus, the primary focus was on methods of production as compared to the end result of the production activity. This is when the role of Taylorism came about. Frederick Winslow Taylor, a name that transformed the management scheme forever. Also known as the Father of scientific management, Taylor was the brain behind recognizing the need for efficiency in the workplace. He first started off with his research at Midvale Steel Works, where he meticulously observed the workers and in order to develop his principles and theories with the prime focus of constructing a way to have full control over the activities taking place (Thompson and Mchugh, 2009, p.28 a). While conducting his research, he noticed a phenome... ... middle of paper ... ...tated that it had a significant impact on the work methods at Ford Motors. Taylor's presence made it possible to maximize workers efficiency and productivity in the manufacturing process at Ford Motors through introduction of novel working styles. Through application of the scientific management principles, production increased and massively benefited the company. However, despite the numerous advantages Taylor brought to the company, the success of Ford cannot solely be attributed to Taylor. This conclusion can be drawn due to the fact that although the management principles were applied, they weren’t followed to the core as various flaws were spotted while putting the principles to work. Dehumanization and worker dissatisfaction were the two main features that were observed during the production phases. Thus, the need to shift from pure Taylorism was experienced.

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