Scientific Management

A mind map of Fredrick Taylor's Scientific Management Theory. Source: Youtube channel 'Organization Communication Channel' Feel free to share it around if given credic.

Scientific Management

• Founder
  • Fredrick Taylor
    • Mechanical Engineer
• Goal
  • Maximise productivity
• Scope
  • Micro-level approach
• Method
  • Division of labour
  • Looking for optimal solution to a task
    • 'the one best way'
  • Organisation structure
    • Hierarchy
      • Clear chain of command
      • Managers design work process and enforce performance
      • Workers follow directions
  • Selection, Training and Compensation
    • Select and train high performing workers
      • Time study
        • Least mean time to complete a task
      • Motion study
        • Fewest number of motions for each task
      • Wanted workers to work like machines
    • Assign the workers to best suited jobs
    • Most productive workers are paid more
    • Under-performing workers are fired
• Examples
  • Optimal weight for a shovel
  • Henry Ford
    • Perfected the production line
    • Cut the production time from 12 hours to 93 minutes
  • Boeing
    • Lean-production
    • Triple productivity
• Outcomes
  • Pros
    • Boost productivity to 200% to 400%
    • More work with less people
      • More profit
    • More consistent products of higher quality
      • Standardisation
  • Cons
    • Most companies failed to pay top performing employees more
    • "Managers think, employees do"
      • Class Division
    • Survival of the fittest
      • Social Darwinism
    • Workers separated form the greater meaning of work
    • De-skilled employees and made them replaceable / expendable
    • Employee burnout
      • Dehumanisation
      • Mental anguish