Frederick Winslow Taylor: The Scientific Management Theory

The scientific management theory formulated by Frederick Winslow Taylor is the first systematic theory. Taylor’s main objective was to raise the output and efficiency of an organization by systematic application of scientific methods to work procedures and managerial problems. He understood that to achieve this, optimum utilization of all resources, material as well as human, is of utmost importance.

Scientific management helps the organizations in various ways:

 It improves and increases the efficiency of the organization.

 It improves the relationship between the managers and the workers and hence also improves the working atmosphere.

 Due to better planning and use of scientific methods, the decision making and work efficiency of the

 As the quality of the product out of these organizations increases, the customers also benefit a lot. They get better quality products at lesser prices.

The scientific management theory has been really helpful for a lot of organizations and hence its principles are considered really valuable by most organizations. The four principles of scientific management theory are:

I. Organizations should not be stuck with their regular routines and should keep trying out new methods and techniques. Every task should be broken down to simpler parts and scientific methods must be used to perform these tasks so that all the work is undertaken in an efficient and planned manner.

II. The managers should select the workers, train them and place them, in a scientific method. They should not leave the workers to train themselves. They should also place them on the jobs that they are best suited for.

III. There should be equal division of work between the workers and managers. Workers should not bear the entire burden. Hence the managers should take up work that they are good at, like planning, organizing and executing the scientific methods of

Fee receipts were hand-written, however now they give printed receipts. These steps save up a lot of time and money and improve efficiency.

 Scientific selection and training methods for teachers - Teachers are selected on the basis of their teaching skills and are asked to teach the subjects they are best at.

Training of teachers is done in a more systematic and advanced manner.

The Mwanza city council, Tanzania, has a special fund for teaching and educating teachers. They are selecting and training teachers in the field of science due to very few science teachers.

This method helps in increasing the efficiency and tackling problems at each level, as the organizations work on each step scientifically and systematically.

 Equal division of work – While making a time table, along with the school teachers, the principals and head masters of schools also teach a few periods. This practice is followed by Magabile secondary school of the Tarime district in Tanzania. Here, the head masters and the second masters are allotted periods in which they teach as normal teachers in the school. This practice is also prevalent in most of the schools in

India.

This helps in avoiding a situation in which all the burden of teaching is on