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Scientific Management, Or Taylorism, Is A Theory Of Management

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Scientific Management, or Taylorism, is a theory of management by F. W. Taylor that analysed how the highest economic efficiency, especially labour productivity, can be achieved, hence the greatest prosperity for both employers and employees. The four principles that he brought forward are the replacement of the ‘rule of thumb’ work method with a scientific way to study work, matching and training the most suitable person to do each particular job scientifically instead of leaving the workers to choose their own work and teach themselves, the provision of detailed instructions and standard operating procedures by the managers to workers to ensure “all of the work being done in accordance with the principles of the science” and the division of work between workers and managers, which managers are responsible for planning and supervising while workers are to complete the tasks they are assigned to.

In F. W. Taylor’s scientific management theory, he tried to convey the idea of specialisation. This means “dividing and co-ordinating the various tasks necessary to produce a finished product” by “simplifying jobs and having each worker perform fewer, more routine tasks”, aiming to increase efficiency in the workplace. By doing so, workers would have to make fewer motions to complete a task and also, repeatedly doing the same task, which would make workers more and more used to and skilled at that task. As a result, they can do it more efficiently and quicker.

Specialisation has

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