NAME

LAURA M. ABEDI

ADMIN. NO.

HPM-2-0087-10

COURSE TITLE

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

LECTURER

INTRODUCTION In 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor published his work, The Principles of Scientific Management, in which he described how the application of the scientific method to the management of workers could greatly improve productivity. These methods were geared at optimizing the way tasks were done and to simplify them enough so that they could be broken down into sequences that workers could easily be trained to perform in the way that was deemed to be best. Taylors concern was the less visible and less tangible loss of wasted human effort through inefficiency. This according to Taylor was due to focusing on getting the right people for work other than getting the right system implemented in an organization to achieve the best results. He stated, In the past the man has been first; in the future the system must be first, and the first goal of an efficacious system is to produce first class men. Stated below are the fundamentals of these principles that Taylor promulgated: a) Replace rule-of-thumb work methods with methods based on a scientific study of the tasks. Taylor taught that there was one and only one method of work that maximized efficiency. And this one best method and best implementation can only be discovered or developed through scientific study and analysis. This involves the gradual substitution of science for 'rule of thumb' throughout the mechanical arts. b) Scientifically select, train, and develop each worker rather than passively leaving them to train themselves. Taylor states that each company should train the workers scientifically rather than to passively leave them to train themselves. The organization should aim to unearth and cultivate workmens endowment, let them have the best performance in their work and obtain the highest efficiency.

c) Heartily co-operate with the workers to ensure that the scientifically developed methods are being followed. People have a natural inclination to do the bare minimal that will make them get by. Without proper supervision from management and motivation through incentives achievement of goals will be impossible. The management has to heartily co-operate and follow up the workers to ensure that the scientifically developed methods are being carried forth. d) Almost equal division of the work and the responsibility between the management and the workmen. Ordinary management left all the work to be done by the workers with no input from management. Managers were rarely present in the industries leaving foremen to give instructions and lead the workers. This contributed to soldiering amongst workers. Taylor taught that it was upon the management to determine the best method to complete each task through a time and motion study, to train the worker in this method, and keep individual records for incentive based pay.

BIBLIOGRAPHY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Principles_of_Scientific_Management_%28monograph% 29 http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/scientific/ http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/economics/taylor/principles/introduction.ht m Massie, J.L. 1979. Essentials of Management. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.