MECHANISTIC ORGANIZATIONS
Metaphors create a method of thinking, it compares items of deferent characteristic showing similarities but not differences, recently shadow chancellor George Osborne criticising Gordon Brown, he said ’Gordon is a man with an overdraft, not a plan’ (Metro, October 28, 2008). Here we can see that the word overdraft is used to describe some of the present characteristics of Gordon Brown in relation to spending. Various metaphors have been used by different writers to show the structure of organisations, examples include: machine, organismic and brain metaphor as used by “Morgan in Images of organisation”, I shall be talking more of machine metaphor in this easy.
Bureaucracy is the term used to describe
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(Morgan 1997)
Fredrick Taylor, another management theorist invented the principle of scientific management showing five simple management principles: 1. Shift all responsibility for the organisation of work from the worker to the manager. Managers think, plan, and design work, while the workers does the implementation, 2. Use scientific method to determine the most efficient way of doing work. Design worker’s task accordingly, specifying the precise way in which the work is to be done, 3. Select the best person to perform the job thus designed, 4. Train the worker to do the work effectively, 5. Monitor worker performance to ensure that appropriate work procedures are followed and that appropriate results are achieved. (Morgan 1997)
McDonalds, Burger King, Greggs, and most fast-food outlets are perfect examples of Taylor’s principles. Other examples include car / automobile manufacturing companies like: Honda, Toyota, Ford, Mitsubishi, London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, British high commission in Nigeria, etc
Mechanistic forms of organisation have many advantages and some very serious disadvantages. Organisations such as McDonald’s DHL, Ford, FEDEX, aircraft maintenance departments, finance offices (HM customs inland revenue) are good examples of the success of mechanistic model of organisation. The advantages of mechanistic organisation will include the fact that It designs task to
In the first two chapters of Images of Organization, the author, Gareth Morgan defines the theory of metaphor and how it is applied to organization. He challenges the reader to examine metaphor as a tool that is used to understand and recognize organization (Morgan, 1998, p. 5). He also cautions against perceptual distortions and bias of metaphor. In chapter two, Morgan presents organization as a machine, illustrating the theories of Frederick the Great of Prussia, Max Weber, and Frederick Taylor.
Many people and companies have rejected the theory of scientific management that Frederic Taylor developed in the early 1900’s because it wasn’t working effectively for the companies. However as Rober Kanigel make clear in his biography of Frederick Taylor One Best Way the problem wasn’t with the theory of scientific management , but with the Frederic Taylor and his attempts at managing his own theories. Frederic Taylor was an engineer, a perfectionist; he didn’t have personality skills necessary to be an effective manager or leader. Someone how had these skills could manage a company well with his theory. What scientific management really is "a complete method of creative problem solving and decision
Frederick Winslow Talyor developed a theory called the Scientific Management. It is a theory of management that analyse and improve work process, aiming to increase labour productivity. Scientific management methods are used to optimize productivity and simplifying the jobs so that workers could be trained to perform their task in one “best” way.
Every company has its own unique organisational structure. This can be described as the system or pattern of relationship in which power and roles are given to the employers and employees. It also involves how the company is designed in order to achieve its goals and its communication channels. A good structure is crucial because the strategic decisions made can either benefit or worsen an organisation (Mullins, 2005). For example, a good structure would encourage and motivate employees in order to keep morale and job satisfaction at the highest possible level so that productive efficiency can be reached. This essay will describe the different designs of organisational structures and assess whether in today’s world, organisations are
Frederick Winslow Taylor, a mechanical engineer born in Philadelphia, was responsible for putting together the system called Scientific Management. Taylor’s introduction of new ideas and methods in industrial engineering, distinctly in time and motion study, proved to be fruitful in improving productivity. Taylor outlined the methods and techniques of Scientific management in his book which was published in 1911. Taylor was not an admirer of the ‘rule of thumb’ principle. The rule of thumb concept means that management would implement methods within the enterprise, based on their past experiences. Hence, Taylor found this to be flawed, as specific outcomes were not guaranteed. Taylor’s main objective was to ensure that wastage and inefficiency
For Scientific Management Theory, one of Taylor’s four principles was the rule of thumb where managers should think and use scientific method to increase production by
First theory is Frederick Winslow Taylor’s Principle of Scientific Management that was published in 1911. It was part of the Classical Approach which refers to the first studies of management that occurred in the early 20 century that emphasised predominantly on rationality and efficiency. It was believed that effectiveness and efficiency are essential to maintain a competitive edge. Taylor’s theory is accepted and have been applied worldwide, as a result, he became known as the ‘father’ of scientific
Frederick Taylor’s scientific management developed techniques for improving the efficiency of the work process. Based on a systematic study of people, tasks and work behavior. Under this theory Frederick Taylor proposed five principles of scientific management.
The techniques of the scientific management theory were defined by Frederick W. Taylor. F W Taylor was a manufacturing manager, but he eventually became a consultant. He introduced four principles
This paper describes on one of the famous management theorist Frederick Winslow Taylor, who introduced to society about the scientific management theories. This method was established a hundred years ago in 1911 early stage by Taylor in his work place. This article critically discusses about Taylor’s early stage, background, education, and his contribution to management theory, practice and society.
The scientific management approach has originated from the work of Frederick Winslow Taylor and his colleagues in an attempt to resolve the problems and needs of organisations during the industrial revolution. According to Taylor, there are six main characteristics of this approach. Firstly, the speed at which the employees perform their tasks is determined by the speed of the conveyor line instead of their natural rhythm (Mullins, 2005). Secondly, each worker is meant to perform the same task
According to Miller (2010) Scientific management (Taylorism) was devised by Frederick Taylor to improve economic efficiency especially labor productivity by analyzing and establishing workflows. It was one of the earliest attempts to apply science to the engineering of processes and to management. Taylor’s scientific management was based on four principles. The first is replacing the “rule of thumb” work methods with methods based on a scientific study. The second is selecting, training and developing the most suitable person for the job. The third principle is managers should give out detailed instructions on how to do the job scientifically and supervise workers. The last principle is dividing the tasks between managers and workers. This paper will discuss if these scientific management principles are outdated in the study of organizations. I will present the principles and explain their relevance in current organizations.
Scientific management was created and nurtured after industrial evolution in an era that science is regarded as a way of life and living. Frederick W. Taylor was a central figure in the development of scientific management theory. He and his contemporaries provided the early impetus for scientific management movement, which is also regarded as Taylorism. Following the urging of Fayol and Weber, who developed the management
The scientific approach was created by Fredrick Taylor, who use scientific measures in analyzing assignments determine ways of increasing work efficiency (Benders, 2004). Taylor developed four philosophies of scientific management (Benders, 2004). First, managers should create a scientific perspective to work, and it should replace work guidelines. Second, managers need to hire and train employees in order for the right duty to be performed by the right person. Third, managers need to cooperate with workers in orders for jobs to match specific strategies. Finally, management needs to guarantee a suitable division of duties between employees and managers. Scientific management focuses on the need for teamwork between
Apply the scientific principles to managers “managing”, and workers “working” (Frederick Taylor & Scientific Management, n.d).