Is There relevance to the Present Day of Scientific Management - Essay Example

?Scientific management was a theory that was developed in the late 19th century by Frederic Taylor, whose aim was to improve the production efficiency of factories. This theory of management investigated and created new ways in which work was done in industries with the objective of ensuring that workers were more productive. This theory was one of the first attempts to bring together scientific methods and the management processes in industries. It was proposed at a time when scientific methods were thought to be the best way of doing almost anything. Therefore, it is not a surprise that this theory could also be proposed for the management process in industries. While this theory of management had become irrelevant within the first quarter of the 20th century, many of ideas, which were proposed by Taylor, are still being applied today. In fact, it can be said that Taylor’s ideas still have a significant influence on how management is conducted, and has affected most of the other management theories, which came after it. While there are some who would argue that this theory of management is still as relevant today as when it was first proposed, others believe that its relevance is not compatible with modern standards. Although both sides have some real pertinent points to justify their claims, one would argue that despite its being effective, the theory of scientific management has lost its relevance in the current world. The way this theory was applied in its time cannot be effectively done in the current competitive global economy. The first case that one would make against the application of this hypothesis in the modern world is that it takes away the autonomy of workers. While some would argue that the application of this theory would increase production, they do not consider the fact that, in the modern market, the availability of products in the market is not the only thing that determines whether consumers by them or not (Jeacle 2004, p.1162). In the highly competitive economy that exists today, it would be disastrous to take away the autonomy of workers because this would decrease innovation. Innovation is one of the most fundamental aspects in the modern world because it gives an organization an advantage over its competitors. Companies today are highly dependent on the creation of new and efficient products to put in the market so that they can keep their competition at bay. These companies try to outdo each other every day by coming up with products which once they enter the market, make similar products made in the past irrelevant. The ability of these companies to create new products frequently is because they give their employees the autonomy to come up with ideas, which help in the development of these new products. If the theory of scientific management were applied in such situations, then competitiveness in the market would be stifled. Instead, the same variety of products would flood the market, and this would negate any need to create good quality products. Moreover, employees in companies would not be motivated to come up with ideas, which would be beneficial to their employer. These employees would only do work for the sake of attaining an income and would not be motivated to do better. Those who support the theory of scientific management would argue that it is the best because it allows for the simplification of jobs. It enables even those who are unskilled to perform tasks, which they were not trained for (Lincoln 200, p.515). While this argument is true, one would counter it by stating that the simplification of jobs is not always the best way to undertake it. This is because, in the current era of enormous technological advancement, it is necessary for individuals to specialize in the use of the different technologies that are available. If unskilled workers are employed to work in environments where there is need handle delicate machinery, for example, the likelihood of accidents and damage to the machinery-taking place would be exceptionally high. The time where people were trained to do routine work like machines is over, and it has been replaced by one where extremely advanced skills, that have been developed over many years of experience are required in order to work in various industries. Most of the unskilled workers in the 19th and early 20th century, when this theory was applied were illiterate, and the only way they could learn their trade was by imitation. In this age, however, such people would be considered irrelevant in most jobs because the latter require at least a certain level of literacy in order to do efficiently. Therefore, it can be said that this theory can only be applied in situations where people with no skills are being managed, and this is in a minority of work situations in the current world. The theory of scientific management proposes that employees take a direct hand in the training of their workers in order to increase their efficiency (Kyle and Nyland 2001, p.925). While it would be the ideal thing for employers to do, one would argue that it has no place in the reality of the current world. Most employers desire to employ those workers who already have experience in their fields. This is done because it is extremely expensive for employers to train new workers. Furthermore, in the current era where people are always looking for better opportunities, most employers do not want to take the risk, as they do not know whether the workers they train will remain with them. The current preference is to bring in new workers, who are experienced, from outside the organization. This not only saves the employer the cost of training, but it also saves time because the new employee can start working immediately he or she is employed. There are many reasons why new workers should be brought from outside the organization. One of this is the fact that these faces would be new within the organization especially during periods when the organization is going through some tough times (Weymes 2004, p.338). Not only will these newcomers inspire confidence among other employees within the organization they will also bring with them new ideas, which will help in the improvement of the organization’s performance. These new employees will probably also bring about a sense of renewal within the organization more than the older employees. This sense of renewal will ensure that all those, who work within the organization, are inspired to work even harder so that its goals can be achieved. As has been stated above, the theory of scientific management has the sole aim of increasing the efficiency of production in industries. It does not consider the dehumanizing effect that its application would bring to the employees of such industries. One would argue that if this theory were to be applied in the modern situation, then it is most likely that workers would end up being treated like machinery than as human beings (Culhane 1997, p.195). Moreover, this theory would work to undermine the activities of trade unions, whose duty it is to protect the rights of employees. This would make the current labour circumstances in the world shoddier than it already is. The process of globalization, with the liberal economic policies, which have come with it, and have been adopted by many countries, has come to weaken the strong foundation upon which many trade unions have been built. Globalization has intensified the economic competition among the various developed nations of the world and, to increase this competitiveness, these countries have adopted extremely liberal trade policies to ensure that their products remain at the top of the global market. These new policies have had an impact on trade unions in acutely negative ways because one of their key parts is the legal restrictions, which have been placed on the rights of workers, for the sake of a higher efficiency of the economy. A major consequence of these restrictions has been the fact that trade unions in these countries have come to lose those rights, which they had struggled for many years to gain, and this has ensured that the political foundations of such trade unions have been increasingly weakened. When one considers this situation, one will find that the theory of scientific management is inapplicable in the current world, where individual worker rights are extremely valuable. Its application would negate the achievements, in workers’ rights that have been attained over the last century. The theory of scientific management backs for the planning of work, even the simplest, with the aim of escalating output; therefore, one would argue that it would be exceedingly difficult for this theory to be applied because currently, companies have a tendency of achieving immense growth within a span of just a few years. The fast growth of companies makes the planning of work terribly difficult, and if this theory were to be applied, then the decision making process in many companies would become more difficult than it already is. This would not only contribute to the inefficiency of these companies, but it would also lead to crucial staff leaving because they would not be able to cope in such a slow environment. In the current, competitive world, it is undoubtedly necessary to leave matters of planning in the hands of the employees and not the management. This will ensure that employees are confident enough to do what they think is best for the organization. An interesting example of a situation where this theory would only make things worse is by looking at the development of Google over the years. According to Girard (2009, p 165) by the beginning of 2007, Google had more than six times the number of employees it had only three years before. Google should be commended for employing such a large number of people, but this comes with many challenges. The large number of employees tends to slow down the decision making process within the organization, and it makes it harder for individuals within it to feel like they are making an impact. In the process, this may lead to some of the top talent at Google to lose interest in working within the organization and being attracted by the more conducive atmosphere that can be found among Google’s rivals. Rival internet companies to Google are maturing enough to attract the top technical talent and offer a real opportunity of making plenty of money from offering the stock or selling to larger companies. The close proximity of these companies to Google makes it easier and faster for them to poach top technical staff from Google. Therefore, if the scientific management theory were to be applied in this situation, then it would make the decision - making process in this company much slower than it already is. In conclusion, it can be said that the scientific management theory is one whose time has passed. Most of the principles that are contained within it are based on the concepts, which were prevalent in the 19th century and have no place in the world as it is currently. Moreover, it is not a theory that can be applied in situations where constant innovation is required because to do so would be disastrous for the industries involved. In addition, in an era where extremely advanced technology is used, it is not advisable to make use of unskilled labour to operate this technology as to do this would defeat the purpose of the theory, which is to increase efficiency. The application of this theory, as discussed above, if applied in situations where new employees have to be trained by the employer, would be highly wastage of time. In the modern world, most employers prefer to hire those people who have already been trained as this ensures that they start working as soon as they are employed. The new employer is therefore, saved time and money, which would have been used in training. While this theory is effective in encouraging productivity, it does not account for quality, something tremendously influential in the current market. It is for these reasons that one would argue that the scientific management theory is a relic of the past, and should not even be considered for use. References Culhane, P.J. (1997). "American Politics--Public Lands and Private Rights: The Failure of Scientific Management." The American Political Science Review 91.1: 195-6. Girard, B. (2009). The Google Way: How One Company Is Revolutionizing Management as We Know It. San Francisco, California: No Starch Press. Jeacle, I. (2004). "Emporium of Glamour and Sanctum of Scientific Management: The Early Twentieth Century Department Store." Management Decision 42.9: 1162-77. Print. Kyle, B. and Nyland, C. (2001). "Scientific Management, Institutionalism, and Business Stabilization: 1903-1923." Journal of Economic Issues 35.4: 955-78. Print. Lincoln, J.R. (2000). "Manufacturing Ideology: Scientific Management in Twentieth-Century Japan." Contemporary Sociology 29.3: 515-6. Print. Weymes, Ed. (2004). "A Challenge to Traditional Management Theory." Foresight: the Journal of Futures Studies, Strategic Thinking and Policy 6.6: 338-48. Print. Read More