The Increasing Application of Scientific Management Principles Of Work
Organisations To Services Is, Despite Its Limitations, Inevitable and
Irreversible.
I Introduction
From the outset of this essay it is necessary to define the basic principles of
Scientific Management in order for the statement to be fully understood and why if at all such a practice is ‘inevitable' and indeed ‘irreversible' within a service industry context.
The underlying belief that scientific management, or rationalisation= , is able to provide the basis for separating management from the execution of work. ‘The rationalisation of work has the effect of transferring functions of planning, allocation and co-ordination to managers, whilst reinforcing the managerial monopoly of decision-making, motivation and control'. Hales (1994).
Taylor (1856-1915) has been referred to as the father of Scientific Management.
He believed that management, not labour, was the cause of and potential solution to problems in the industry. Taylor concluded that workers systematically ‘ soldiered' because they believed that faster work would put them out of a job and because hourly or daily wages destroyed individual incentive. Taylor believed that in order to discourage, and indeed halt, this ‘soldiering' a ‘ mental revolution' was required. He believed this could be achieved via four vital principles: (1) the development of the best work method, via systematic observation, measurement and analysis; (2) the scientific selection and development of workers; (3) the relating and bringing together of the best work method and the developed and trained worker; (4) the co-operation of managers and non-managers which includes the division of work and the managers responsibility of work.
From this five key facets have evolved that lie at the foundation of scientific management. Hales (1994) has summarised these as follows:
- systematic standardised work methods via mechanisation and standard times. - a clean functional division between managers and non-mangers.
Braverman (1974) described this as the ‘separation of conception from execution'. - centralised planning and control.
- an instrumental, low-involvement employment relationship due to the requirement of t...
... middle of paper ...
...s that are attracted to the industry. But the deskilling due to rationalisation means that such people are ‘strait-jacketed into one dimensional jobs' (Hales 1994) stifling variety and creativity. Therefore such a sentiment tends to argue against the notion that scientific management principles are inevitable.
In summary to return to the original statement it can be argued against the belief that scientific management is inevitable and irreversible throughout the entire service industry, although certainly some areas of the industry could benefit from utilising such a management strategy - notably in the budget sector.
Bibliography
Hales, C. (1994) Managing Through Organisation, Routledge, London.
Peters, T. & Waterman, R., In Search of excellence, Harper & Row, New York.
Ritzer, G. (1993) The MacDonaldization of Society.
Targett, D. (1995) ‘Management Science in service industries', in Schmenner, R.W.
(ed.) Service Operations Management, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Taylor, F.W. (1984) ‘Scientific Management', in Pugh, D. Organisation Theory,
Penguin, Harmondsworth.
Thompson, P. & McHugh, D. (1990) Work Organisations: A critical introduction,
Manmillan, London.
Shafer-Landau begins his article by arguing that three considerations lay the foundation for the d...
Sometimes my professors asked me to write this type of essays. However, I do not think that I wrote them correctly. Because I did not know the structure of this essay. Also, I did not know how to discuss
The essay is written in a very critical style where the reader will feel like they have been wast...
Heward, W. (2013, July 19). Six Major Principles of IDEA . Retrieved February 24, 2014, from Education.com: http://www.education.com/reference/article/six-major-principles-idea/
In this essay I will hope to set out both sides of the argument, for
The fundamental assumptions of the theory are that to be human is to be caring, and the purpose of the nursing profession is to come to know persons and to nurture them as persons living caring and growing in caring (Alligood 2014). The assumptions give way to the concept of respect for persons as caring individuals and respect for what matters to them; respect is the starting place for all nursing caring activities (Alligood 2014).
The following essay is an attempt to critically compare and contrast these two approaches from various aspects, and deduce which one is more encompassing.
A principle is always a principle of something, and every method or orderly proceeding has a principle or starting point.
In this essay, I'm going to introduce to the reader a topic not touched a
fundamental issues of how a society works and maintains itself. The goals behind the two works,
“A set of basic practical principles which indicate the basic forms of human flourishing as goods to be pursued and realized, and which are in one way or another used by everyone who considers what to do, or what not to do.”
White, T. I., & Rauhut, N. C. (n.d.). Basic Issues Philosophy (pp. 64-75). N.p.: Pearson Custom Publishing.
In order to focus my analysis, I shall center my essay upon a discussion of the following six-step argument, assumed here to be valid, but not necessarily sound, making the issue of soundness the key issue:
Over recent years companies have become less dependent on paper and more dependent on technology. Take American Honda Motors for example; the Davenport Parts facility recently converted computer systems to more efficiently manage its inventory. Prior to its new system months of preparation was needed in order to ensure a smooth change over. Without the four basic functions of management all working together success would not have been possible.
Philosophy is very important when it comes to the teaching practice. It helps teachers to understand everything that is happening in the school settings as well as helping them to understand the way in which all the school citizens act and how they think. It also helps them to think more clearly. It gives them wisdom and helps them to learn more about what is happening in the world which they live in. It helps them to learn about each other. This assignment will focus on explaining the importance of philosophy for the teaching practice by highlighting how epistemology has influence on how I teach, the importance of ethics in the teaching practice as well as identifying one philosophy of teaching amongst, pragmatism, existentialism or liberalism.