Question

How does an understanding of Taylor's early career help you to better understand his idea about scientific management?

Answer 1

In 1875, F W Taylor begun his career as a chief engineer (mechanist) and he invented high speed steel cutting tools. As he grew up from the bottom level, he knew and understand the issues related with the workers. He always supported the idea of greater efficiency in production by lowering the cost and increase in profits along with higher pay for the workers. Thus, productivity is directly proportional to the higher profits and wages. Hence, he offered scientific approach to management in a ways, to replace the rule-of-thumb type of approaches with the methods which are based on the scientific study of the effort or task; development of worker through scientific trainings and selections, more cooperation with workers, equally division of work among worker and the manager for the better work performance and higher productive outcomes. He gave more stress on the “time and motion study” to measure the work done by each worker and introduced the productivity based wages.