Taylorism And Scientific Management Theory

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Introduction
Although Taylorism is a system designed to maximize managerial control over workers, it has now become overlooked due to more recent management systems that focus on empowerment and promoting employee initiative. The administrative management theory also was created to ensure efficiency and effectiveness but did not rather promote nor empower employee initiative. Although it did not do so, it has not passed its ‘use by’ date as the bureaucratic system it is still relevant in todays society. A more recent management system, the behavioural theory, focuses on the empowerment and encouragement of employee initiative which does contrast against Taylorism although is not necessarily more popular.

Scientific Management Theory
Many different theorists and experts had their own views or definitions of scientific management, George Ritzer defines Scientific Management as a method that ”produced nonhuman technology that exerted great control over workers” Ritzer.G, The Mcdonaldization of Society pg. 34 (2004). Although all these definitions are correct in their own way, the establisher of the scientific management style, Frederick Taylors view on management was that ‘the principal object of management should be to secure maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity of the employee’ FW Taylor, The principles of Management pg. 9 (1911). Taylor wanted to replace the ‘rule of thumb’ way of working by studying the relationships between people and tasks for the purpose of redesigning the work process for higher efficiency.

FW Taylor, The Principles of Scientific Management pg36-37 (1911) States there are four main principles of scientific management to increase efficiency in the workplace. Firstly, ...

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... theory is the contingency theory. The contingency theory means that there is no best way to organise. Burns and Stalker in Britain and Lawrence and Lorsch in the United States both developed this theory and state that the organisational structures and control systems managers choose all depend on characteristics of both, the internal and external environment.

Conclusion
All theories relate to benefiting organisational efficiency and effectiveness in their own way. Some think it is in employee initiative to increase efficiency and others believe focusing on managerial control is more relevant. All in all, it depends on the culture of an organisation thus meaning a contingency theory is in order to work out which style best fits the targeted organisation. Therefore Taylorism is by all means has not past its ‘use by’ date and will live on in different circumstances.

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