Page 34 - DCOM102_DMGT101_PRINCIPLES_AND_PRACTICES_OF_MANAGEMENT

Principles and Practices of Management

Notes of management. To put the philosophy of scientific management into practice, Taylor and his
associates suggested the following techniques:
1. Scientific task setting to determine a fair days; work.

2. Work study to simplify work and increase efficiency. This involves methods study, time
study and motion study.
3. Standardization of materials, tools equipment, costing system, etc.

4. Scientific selection and training of workers.
5. Differential piece-wage plan to reward the highly efficient workers.
6. Specialization in planning and operations through ‘functional foremanship’. Foremen in
the planning department include: route clerk, instruction card clear, time and cost clerk
and shop disciplinarian and those in the operations department include: gang boss, speed
boss, repair boss and inspector.
7. Elimination of wastes and rationalization of system of control.

Criticism of Scientific Management

Taylor’s scientific management was criticized not only by the workers and managers but also by
the psychologists and the general public. The main grounds of criticism are given below:

1. The use of the word ‘Scientific’ before ‘Management’ was objected because what is actually
meant by scientific management is nothing but a scientific approach to management.
2. Taylor advocated the concept of functional foremanship to bring about specialization in
the organisation. But this is not feasible in practice as a worker can’t carry out instructions
from eight foremen.

3. Scientific management is production-centered as it concentrates too much on the technical
aspects of work and undermines the human factor in industry.
4. Scientific Management ignores social and psychological needs of workers as it treats
them as extension of machines devoid of any feelings and emotions.
5. Trade unionists regarded the principles of scientific management as the means to exploit
labour because the wages of the workers were not increased in direct proportion to
productivity increases.
Many of the above objections were later remedied by the other contributors to scientific
management like Henri L. Gantt, Frank Gilbreth, Lillian Gilbreth and Harrington Emerson.
Many of the recommendations of Taylor are still being applied by the modern business
undertakings. In short, it can be said that Taylor was the pioneer in introducing scientific
reasoning to the discipline of management.

Task Find out the span of control or level of organisation of any Indian company
of your choice.

2.3 Management Process or Administrative Management Approach

The advocates of this school perceive management as a process involving certain functions such
as planning, organising, directing and controlling. That is why, it is also called the ‘functional’

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