The Effects of Frederick Taylors Scientific Management - Essay Example

The Effects of Frederick Taylor’s Scientific Management Many theories and methods have been devised to help managers organize their work areas, processes and workers toward the greatest possible good since the emergence of the factory in the 1800s. One such idea, that hadn’t been put in place during the founder’s time, but that has since seen some use and development, includes Frederick Taylor’s (1856-1915) Scientific Management Method. The founding idea behind Frederick Taylor’s scientific management theory was the concept that “the principal object of management should be to secure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee” (Taylor, 1911: 67). Taylor’s theories can be seen in many organizations that exist today, but perhaps most easily in the processes that characterize the popular fast food chain McDonalds, especially if one studies the means by which the company has redesigned their work areas to produce the greatest possible product in the least amount of time with the fewest manpower hours necessary to keep customers happy. Taylor’s theory centered around the concept that management and the workforce should work in tandem for a mutual benefit, but that it was essential for management to make benefits directly applicable to the employee who worked hard. He noted that “there is no question that, throughout the industrialized world, a large part of the organization of employers, as well as employees, is for war rather than peace” (Taylor, 1911: 67). In order for an organization to prosper, Taylor argued, it was necessary for the organization to enable and encourage the employee on an individual basis to reach their full efficiency. “In a word, that maximum prosperity can exist only as the result of maximum productivity” (Taylor, 1911: 68). The only way to encourage the individual to strive to their full efficiency, though, was to enable them to receive some kind of direct benefit, such as a higher wage for a higher productivity. This involved not only the establishment of a workplace that was conducive to the human body and its needs in performing the tasks at hand, but also to training and personal development among staff members. One of the ways of accomplishing this goal was by direct wage increases based on an individual’s increased productivity or expertise. Another was through the efficient organization of the production floor. “Among the various methods and implements used in each element of each trade there is always one method and one implement which is quicker and better than any of the rest. And this one best method and best implement can only be discovered and developed through a scientific study and analysis of all the methods and implements in use, together with accurate, minute, motion and time study” (Taylor, 1911: 73). Finally, Taylor indicated that leaving this important study and subsequent training of employees up to the employees themselves would be insufficient to accomplish the goals sought. Instead, it required a close, personal relationship to be developed between management and the general workforce in which work was performed side-by-side and training was a personal, rather than a distant, practice. “This close, intimate, personal cooperation between the management and the men is of the essence of modern scientific or task management” (Taylor, 1911: 74). Not only did this practice assure the workforce that management was sympathetic to their unique work conditions, but management became more aware of the tasks and stresses involved in moving production forward. The McDonalds corporation, currently the number one fast food chain in the world, has often found itself struggling to retain this position in changing times. The restaurants specialize in providing quick and easy menu items to the public through dine-in, carry-out or even drive through orders. They were among the first organizations to provide this type of service, eventually including even children’s play areas as well to accommodate busy parents who wanted safe, enclosed areas in which their children could play without requiring the hyper-surveillance that had become common in the modern world. This demonstrates their willingness to make significant changes as a means of meeting the needs of their customers. A great deal of the company’s success was gained through its ability to quickly create sandwiches that had been ordered by the customers, frequently in as little as one minute, the time it took for the order to be passed to the kitchen from the front counter and the customer to pay for it. In 1993, the company recognized the need to provide freshly cooked food products, rather than products that had been previously prepared and kept warm under a heat lamp, to an increasingly aware public while streamlining the production process to minimize the number of employees needed. It is in this area that Taylor’s scientific management method can be observed most closely. To keep the wait time at a minimum for the customer while still providing freshly prepared food, the company utilized Taylor’s scientific studies to bring the production process to its most efficient level in combination with new technology to make everything run at its most efficient. When the customer places the order, it is no longer printed on a receipt and spun back to the kitchen for processing, but instead appears instantly on a video screen as the sale is being made at the front counter. Buns, which used to take 20-30 seconds to toast, are now toasted in a new machine that reaches temperatures of 545 degrees, reducing the time needed for this stage of the work down to 11 seconds (textbook). Once the buns come out of the toaster, a second employee assembles the particular sandwich ordered from a partitioned condiment stand that further streamlines the process by placing each item in order of its correct placement for the various products made. All condiments are kept at room temperature to keep them from prematurely cooling the meat. With this arrangement, it has been determined that the assembly time for sandwiches should take no more than 20 seconds (textbook). The last phase of production is when the meat patty, which is the only portion of the sandwich prepared ahead of time, is placed on the bun and the sandwich is wrapped, estimated to take approximately 14 seconds (textbook). Adding all this together, the customer is presented with their order at approximately the same time as their change. All of these processes take place on a heated double-sided preparation surface that keeps the product warm while providing space to add additional employees during peak periods without wasting space or food product. As a result of this scientific streamlining based on Taylor’s scientific approach to production, McDonalds is able to save $100,000,000 per year in food costs while employing a minimum number of workers. In addition, employees are kept at high performance levels through the company’s progressive salary structure, which enables hard-working employees to work into upper management positions while allowing less motivated employees to seek employment elsewhere. As was suggested by Taylor, the company works to provide training and development to their employees through a variety of methods. However, this wasn’t always easy to accomplish thanks to the wide variety of age groups and shifts available within the company’s normal operating procedure. For example, “a survey of McDonald’s 67,000 UK employees revealed a demand for externally recognized qualifications. With employees working different shifts, the company had to come up with an innovative way of delivering this training” (“McDonalds Our Lounge”, 2007). This combination of new technology and widespread employee training fits in perfectly with Taylor’s vision of management providing, at its own cost, real-world development and training designed specifically for its employees that also work to the company’s advantage. The Our Lounge system allows employees to work from anywhere they have an internet connection, including specific PCs placed within the McDonalds stores, to help further their education in English and math primarily, but with other courses offered online as well. Instead of pushing employees to follow a given timeline, students in the Our Lounge area define their own learning timetable to something that fits their own schedule and are able to sign into classes day or night. “The course is very flexible and fits around each employee’s lifestyle” (“McDonalds Our Lounge”, 2007). According to statistics available on the program, more than 1,000 McDonalds employees have already signed up for the program. Supporting Taylor’s theory that a trained employee is a more dedicated employee, feedback on the program has been generally positive. Finally, management is encouraged to work side by side with employees as they assist with not only the daily running of the business but also in training and overseeing the various processes involved. This is started at the level of employee training, giving employees incentive to maintain motivated, highly productive workflows and responsible behavior as those employees who demonstrate strong work skills are those selected for management training. “Each person’s suitability to be considered for a Trainee Manager’s position will be assessed on their ability to supervise people, product and equipment to deliver outstanding quality, service, cleanliness and value on assigned shifts and their motivational desire to perform. You should demonstrate and reinforce the leadership behaviors and basic people skills necessary to gain commitment from crew and other shift managers” (“Training and Progression”, 2007). By promoting from within the ranks in this manner, not only are the everyday employees motivated to maintain high work standards, but they understand their management officers have intimate understanding and knowledge of the work involved in any job within the store. Managers work their way up the corporate ladder through various steps, each accompanied with accreditations that are universally applicable in the world outside the corporation as well, adding value and benefit to the manager employee as well as the company. These levels include trainee manager, second assistant, first assistant and finally store manager. At the highest level, the individual employee has gained an advanced diploma of business management and is free to take their skills anywhere but is now encouraged to stay with McDonalds through time invested and mutual good will. This careful examination of McDonalds Corporation has demonstrated a close relationship to Taylor’s scientific management approach. To begin with, they have taken a scientific, time study of their production techniques, eliminating steps where possible and reducing steps that were not eliminated. Programs designed to train average workers by offering real-world outside benefit such as English and math classes also work to help the company as workers interact with predominantly English-speaking customers and perform math-related skills. Employees are further motivated to work hard through a graduated management program that concurrently fosters close relationships between managers and employees. Through their dedication to employee training and development, their emphasis upon close relationships building between managers and workmen and their careful scientific approach to streamlining the production process, McDonalds Corporation can be seen to be emulating the three major principles of Taylor’s Scientific Management Approach. References Heizer, Jay & Render, Barry. (2006). Operations Management. (8th Ed.). New York: Prentice Hall. “McDonalds Our Lounge.” (2007). Case Studies. Business in the Community. Available February 14, 2007 from Taylor, Frederick Winslow. (1911). The Principles of Scientific Management. New York: Harper and Brothers. “Training and Progression.” (2007). McDonalds Management. McDonalds.com. Available February 14, 2007 from Read More