Management Pursuit of Efficiency and Effectiveness - Essay Example

Claims that Management pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness have been at the expense of labour’s welfare are not valid Name Institution Course Date Claims that Management pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness have been at the expense of labour’s welfare are not valid Introduction This essay will explore the claim that asserts that management’s pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency is at the expense of labor’s welfare is not valid. The major premise to support this claim is that concepts and theories discussed in organization behavior greatly demonstrate the concern and the input of management and theories towards employee welfare through training and development, promotion, reward, motivation, and development of a unique culture at the workplace. It will not be accurate to claim that the management forgoes the welfare of the workforce while it concentrates on effectiveness and proficiency. These qualities cannot be achieved entirely without the support of a motivated, well-trained, handsomely compensated, and adequately equipped workforce. The discussion employs the argument authored by Bowey (2005), Phipps (2011), Schwartz (2007), Sikula, Olmosk, Kim and Cupps (2001), and Waddell, Jones and George (2011) to argue for and against the contribution of scientific management to organizational effectiveness and efficiency and its flaws with regard to employee welfare. Following the revelation after the Hartshorne studies scientific management has been ignored although it is still applicable in many reward systems Premium Bonus System’ has been presented as one of the application of scientific management reward system. Development of human relations was discovered to be an important part of increasing productivity through ensuring employee satisfaction. The first part of the essay investigates the development of theory and practice as a result of pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency. The second part looks at the criticism of scientific management despite its contributions to development of theory and practice. The conclusion echoes the main argument of this essay that management pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency has not negatively affected the employee welfare. Contributions of scientific management to development of theory and practice Spiritual leadership involves attitudes, behaviors, and values that are important to internally motivate oneself and others in order to have the existence of spiritual survival through calling. It is vital to be a vision whereby members of the organization through a sense of calling, and besides, culture has to be founded on altruistic love whereby followers and leaders possess sincere concern, care and appreciation for others and self, and therefore, resulting in a sense of membership. Spirituality at the workplace also involves servant leadership that upholds that followers have to be served by their leaders. Servant leadership is type of leadership that entails workplace spirituality since the basic principle of the approach is listening and understanding. Workers needs, desires, issues and values are put into consideration (Phipps, 2011, p.271). Workplace spirituality has found surging focus in management since it has been established to impact productivity and occasions a work environment that enriches the lives of employees. Organizations that are associated with spirituality possess employees who are confident, and perceive their organizations are being profitable and they are more dedicated to work. Spirituality entails philosophies of purpose, opportunity for development and growth, and integration and connectedness, all of with put into consideration respect and positivity and concern for the human element following the scientific management inception and its focus on method and systematicity. (Phipps, 2011, p.272).It is asserted that divorce of spirituality from daily activities is a tragic dualism, and it is not good ignore commerce and industry and look for development of spirituality elsewhere. Embracing spirituality has a great impact on management practice and theory. A basic principle of human worth and dignity observes that all human beings have both extrinsic and intrinsic values and have to be treated with courtesy and respect. Human beings have talents and abilities deserving merit. Each individual has a sum of qualities that makes him valuable, useful, and important. Moreover, human beings have a quality or character of being noble and honorable. People have to be treated with politeness, dignity, respect, and care. A manner of stateliness, excellence and grace is an inherent part of every human being, regardless of the fact that sometimes such qualities are underdeveloped and dormant. Neglect and abuse can destroy a person, just as lack of maintenance and sabotage can ruin machinery and buildings (Sikula, Olmosk, Kim & Cupps, 2001, p.4). Human beings are very valuable. People possess both extrinsic and intrinsic worth. Internal value is inherent in human beings because they have attitudes, abilities, and a spirit. The inner value is inbred, inborn, real, and natural. Humans possess intrinsic value as indispensable, permanent, essential, and inalienable elements. The quality is the core nature constitution, and character of humanity. When the potential of a human being is enacted, intrinsic value transforms to extrinsic worth. Human beings possess extrinsic worth since their mental and physical labors are able to produce services and products that occasion social good. People possess outward and exterior worth that is not contained inside or belonging to a human body per se. the value is obtained from activities that people opt to perform (Sikula, Olmosk, Kim & Cupps, 2001, p.4). Extrinsically and intrinsically humans have talents and abilities deserving of merits. Scientific management recognizes the worthiness of a human being and the potential of converting his usefulness into finished goods and products. The first part has explored the development of theory and practice as a result of scientific management. The criticisms of scientific management Fredrick Taylor is viewed as one of the founding fathers of scientific management. He is a distinguished management theorist. Taylor suggested a scientific system responsible for breaking down each function into component parts and deciding the most efficient way of accomplishing each task. The daily production rate was to be established using stop watches and workers trained to act in a manner desirable to the management (Schwartz, 2007, p.44). To enhance the adoption of scientific management, each employee was to be paid using piece-rate reward system that favored an individual with the greatest output. When the worker output when beyond the required standard, a higher compensation rate was to be paid. The omission of human factor in Taylor’s theory was very conspicuous and characterized mere impersonality and coldness. Scientific management is the basic theory behind various payment systems being introduced in the modern days; it can be viewed as commission-only sales remuneration, piece-work, sales remuneration, and incentives based on work that is measured. Scientific management is resulted into the ‘economic man model’ that was very common a century ago. There is an assumption that working people come up with rational economic calculations and are encouraged by the objective of earning the most pay possible (Bowey, 2005, p.18). This promoted managers to come up with financial incentives schemes founded on work measurement; it was assumed that providing extra money for every increment of work leads to maximization of output. Hartshorne’s studies carried out in 1930s aimed at identifying the best environment for maximization of work performance. It was established that productivity increased throughout a series of changes at conditions of working, whether they were being made better or being made incrementally worse, and this occasioned the recognition that interrelationships at work could possess a big influence on productivity and morale. Since that time, scientific management was discredited but is impact on the rewards systems is still very much present (Bowey, 2005, p.18). After the publication of Hawthorne studies another school of thought came about with regard to motivation to work. The focus shifted to human relation as opposed to money being the sole motivator. Motivation theories that focused on findings of human relations were developed. Managers were reluctant to disregard a theory that is favored. Satisfaction of human needs was focused on in the 1950s and 1960s. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg hygiene factors were focused on. Macgregor favored theory Y against theory X. It focused on the desire of people for achievement as well as satisfaction from a job that has been done well. McClelland gave emphasis of the significance of needs for power, affiliation, and achievement (Bowey, 2005, p.18). Scientific management theory was discovered not to be the ultimate solution to the problems of productivity within the firm. The most conspicuous scientific management that emerges in England prior to the First World War is the ‘Premium Bonus System’ that saw a basic incentive provided for each worker for the purpose of maximizing his or her productivity. Many peculiar and important details of scientific management are majorly neglected. Premium bonds schemes were as a result of a broad interpretation of principles by Taylor and are familiar in workshops in Britain. The bonus system was highly criticized as generating a strong feeling that is anti-social amongst the shopmates. It was branded as a scientific method that drained the last ounce of blood from workers (Caldari, 2007, p.60). Labor relations seem to be of no concern from the individualistic conceptualization of engineers, but, probably, they possess a basic role on industrial systems. Organized labor is against scientific management where scientific management measurement is part of labor welfare. The disadvantages of scientific management are not concealed but more often than not they are regarded as transitory (Caldari, 2007, p.59). Institutions were formed to serve individuals and not vice versa. Individuals direct and form corporations with the aim of fulfilling personal needs. Humans adapt and change organization as opposed to organizations changing and adapting humans. The second part of the essay has discussed the criticism of scientific management with the regard to human factor or employee welfare development. The theory focused so much on production at the expense of development of human relations. Conclusion This essay has demonstrated that management’s pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency does not in any way hurt employee welfare development. The effectiveness and efficiency of an organization is attained by a competent, motivated, and adequately equipped workforce. The functions of the company or organization cannot improve if there is no similar improvement in the people who are handling them. Despite the contributions of scientific management to the development of practice and theory, there are important aspects with regard to human relations that were overlooked during its hype. The Hawthorne studies demonstrate the other aspects apart from the reward system that can be used in increasing productivity. Other theories like Herzberg two factor theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and hygiene theory begun to be popular with regard to the treatment of employees at the workplace. Besides payment, there are other needs that drive the desire and zeal of a worker to give his best at the work place. Human beings have to be treated with dignity while recognizing their personal worthiness that is inherent. Theorists and managers have not overlooked the significance of employee welfare in their pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency at the workplace. In as much as scientific management has laid the foundation for development of several theories and practices, it does not uphold basic principles for development of human relations at the workplace. Human beings are valuable and should be treated well in order to realize their full potential at the workplace. This essay has sought to demonstrate that pursuit of effectiveness and efficiency by management has also contributed to the development of labor welfare and not vice versa. References Bowey, A 2005, ‘Motivation: the art of putting theory into practice’, European Business Forum, issue 20, Winter, pp 17-20. Caldari, K 2007, ‘Alfred Marshall’s critical analysis of scientific management’, The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 14:1, March, pp 55-78. Phipps, STA 2011, ‘Mary, Mary, quite contrary: In a male-dominated field, women contributed by bringing a touch of spirituality to early management theory and practice’, Journal of Management History, vol. 17, no. 3, pp 270-281. Sikula Sr, A, Olmosk, K, Kim, CW & Cupps, S 2001, ‘A “New” Theory of Management’, Ethics & Behaviour, 11(1), pp 3-21. Schwartz, M 2007, ‘The “business ethics” of management theory’, Journal of Management History, vol. 13, no. 1, pp 43-54. Read More