Management Hall of Fame
Most Respected Management Gurus
Frederick Taylor
(Frederick Winslow Taylor)
Father of
Scientific Management (1856 -1915)
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"In the past the man was first. In the future the system will be first."
(Fredrick Winslow Taylor)
Key Work
From unskilled job at the Midvale Steel Works, to general manager of
Manufacturing Investment Company (MIC), he built his knowledge and his
theory " The Principles of Scientific Management"
Scientific management differed from traditional "initiative and
incentive" methods of management, where the whole problem is 'up to the
workman'; while under the scientific management, fully one-half of the
problem (planning & supervision) is 'up to the management'…
The four overriding principles of scientific management are as follows:
- Each part of an individual's work must be analyzed "scientifically,"
and the most efficient methodology for undertaking the job is devised
and the maximum amount of "first-class" production is measure in a day.
Workers are then expected to do this much work every day.
- Everyone, has the ability to be "first class" at some job. It is
management's role to find out which job suits each employee and train
them until they are first class.
- Managers must cooperate with workers to ensure the job is done in
the scientific way and according to the "first-class".
- Managers tole planning and supervision of the work, and workers
carry it out.
In Taylor's view, it was pointless to involve the shop floor workers
in end-of-year profit sharing schemes. Taylor proposed a form of
improvement feedback incentive for workers by giving them full credit for
the improvement, and be paid a cash premium as a reward.
His work is seen by many as inhumane, however many consider his
scientific management had a major impact on quality standards. the
procedural documentation used in the ISO 9000 series of quality standards
is very close to scientific management.
Books & References:
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The Principles of Scientific Management. New
York: W.W. Norton, 1967.
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Fredrick Taylor: Frederick Taylor. A Study in Personality and
Innovation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1970.
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Nelson, D. Fredrick W. Frederick W. Taylor and the Rise of Scientific
Management. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1980.
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