TAYLORISM
Frederick Taylor wrote The Principles of Scientific Management in 1911, these
principles became known as Taylorism. Some of the principles of Taylorism
include (Management for Productivity, John R. Schermerhorn, Jr. (1993)):
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Develop a "science" for every job, including rules motion, standardized
work implements, and proper working conditions.
Carefully select workers with the right abilities for the job.
Carefully train these workers to do the job, and give them proper
incentives to cooperate with the job science.
Support these workers by planning their work and by smoothing the way as
they go about their jobs.
Taylor makes the following statement:
"The principal object of management should be to secure maximum prosperity for the
employer, coupled with maximum prosperity for the employee" The Principles of Scientific Management,
Frederick W. Taylor (1911)
Becker and Steele make the following statement:
Taylorism has been a significant part of organizations from the early part of the
century and has been polished by major American corporations for the last
seventy-five years. Workplace by Design, Franklin Becker/Fritz Steele (1995)
How did Taylorism affect the organization during this time?
"The corporate order, with its assembly-line techniques, job differentiation, and increased
organizational size, demanded a different type of office space and a more regulated and
regimented flow of time." Engendering Business: Men and Women in the Corporate Office, A. KwolekFolland (1994)
Taylorism began to change how organizations functioned. Before this time, as
mentioned on the Early Organizations webpage, organizations were usually setup
in homes or in formal businesses where the workspaces were open. There were no
barriers to communication and ideas could flow freely among employees.
Taylorism abruptly changed this feature of organizations. Some of the following
words describe the affects of Taylorism and Post-WWII on organizations:
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Heiarchical leadership
Fixed, not fluid
Split locations for manufacturing and
office work
Offices were compartmentalized
Work became specialized with divisional
labor
Office features were a symbol of status
Product/outcome focused - not customer
focused
Demand exceeded supply
Manufacturing and industrial companies
were the main company types
http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/dea453_653/ideabook1/thompson_jones/Taylorism
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