Taylor's Scientific Management Theory

Unitarists start from a set of assumptions and values that hold workplace conflict is not an inevitable characteristic of relations between managers and employees. Conflict in the workplace may periodically emerge between the two, but such occurrences are believed to be aberrations in a relationship that is inherently prone to be cooperative. Those holding this perspective see managers and employees as having a common interest in the survival of their organisations, such that when conflicts occur it is unlikely to manifest itself to a point that will render the firm insolvent. Divisions that do exist are assumed to be the product of personality disorders, inappropriate recruitment and promotion practices, the deviance of dissidents, or poor

Scientific management theory Unitarist assumptions and values have played a significant role in three schools of theoretical and practical thought. The first is Taylor’s (1974) theory of scientific management. As a management practice, this particular theory holds that the employment relations choices of management must start from the assumption that employees are immature in the ways of work, are prone to avoid it whenever possible, and have limited, self-centred aspirations and time-horizons. In so far as this conflicts with the aspirations and time-horizons of organisations, efforts to reduce the outward manifestation of internal tension are to be undertaken by direct and highly rigid control of the workplace activities of employees. Indeed it is the task of management to show rational 192 Problems and Perspectives in Management, 1/2006 leadership when recruiting and directing workers, to have a clear understanding of the tasks employees are expected to perform, and to have untrammelled prerogatives to control the pace and processes under which they work. Companies subscribing to this form of management practice should reduce work to its basic elements, such that the skills of workers necessary to undertake tasks are kept to a

They are also expected to take an active interest in developing the skills of employees as a means of demonstrating a commitment to their personal well-being. In whatever form, the aim of this managerial approach to employee relations is one that seeks to reduce internal tensions by developing the sense of workplace satisfaction felt by employees through techniques that involve them in the organisation and regulation of work. Human resource management The third theory refers to human resource management practices (see: Stone, 1995; Blyton& Turnbull, 1992; Guest, 1989). This form of management practice differs from the previous two in that it starts from the belief that organisational tensions can be completely resolved by nurturing a psychological contract based on cooperation. The employee relations’ choices in this instance are predicated on the belief that the forces uniting managers and employees are far stronger than the forces dividing them. It is the task of management to facilitate these unifying forces by establishing workplace conditions that encourage autonomous individuals, whether employees or management, to work collaboratively for the common